Late Blossoms II: Blooming Firecracker
by InfiniteDragon
Summary: Direct sequel to Late Blossoms, set 2 yrs later. Hanabi, just after turning 20 and set for her Jonin exam, is prematurely assigned to take a Genin team, assuming she passes. With all their deadly enemies dead, Konoha ninja should be fine... right?
1. Chapter 1: Absolutely not! Not ever!

**A/N**: This is, as many will guess from the title, a direct sequal to my first, epic-length (and mostly worth a read) Naruto fic, Late Blossoms. It is two or so (might have to edit that to fix continuity if I catch any problems) years after the first has ended. Naruto is currently in his third year as Rokudaime, Tsunade is still alive, but in poor health again, and both Sakura and Hinata's teams are all Chunin. The happy family now has four children- two of Hinata's, two of Sakura's. Currently, both of Hinata's children use the Hyuuga name, as they were born with the Byakugan.

This story is Hanabi-centric. She is now 18, and becomes a Jonin in Chapter 2. (No spoilers here!) It focuses mainly on her journey as a sensei, although there are major bits of romance, angst, fluff, and a bit of lemon in the works, too. Unlike with the original story, while there is some danger, there isn't a major war on the horizon- to this day I regret bringing that into the other story. It was supposed to be a backdrop, not the main event for the second half of the tale. Ah well, live and learn. That being said, all events in Late Blossoms are canon for this story, as is everything in the manga that is not expressly changed in either story. (For instance, Jiraiya's death is as it happened in the manga. However, the circumstances surrounding the defeat of Akatsuki are slightly different than I expect the Manga will go. The details of that are left unmentioned in the first story, so this may clear it up- or not. It's not essential to the plot from what I can see now. Orochimaru and Sasuke won't be making an appearance again, they are _really really_ dead this time, but there will be some familiar villains all the same. Sort of.

Also, for what it's worth, I will not be putting the One Hour story on hold, though if my pattern holds true, updates for it will be few and far between for a while- till this one is about done. My apologies, I just got really distracted from my other fics by Late Blossoms, and I expect the same will happen here- Hanabi has always been my favorite of the non-main characters, so...

As always, I don't own Naruto, it's characters, or settings- I just borrow them for my own twisted amusement.

**Chap. 1 Absolutely not! Not ever!**

In the waiting room outside the Hokage's Office in Konohagakure, five people flinched again. For one of them, that could be expected. The non-shinobi secretary who handled the young village leader's schedule and related duties could hardly be expected to be used to the yelling and fighting coming from the room behind her.

For the pink and indigo haired women who seemed to be standing guard outside the door, the matter was more personal- they didn't like hearing their husband yell. But both knew, _knew_, that he was right in this, and wouldn't back down.

The lone male, an Inuzuka that the two older shinobi knew well, but the youngest in the room only knew through her sister, seemed amused by the whole thing, though his gigantic dog and he both flinched from the sheer volume of the noise every time someone in the office spoke.

The last, though, was more of a surprise. The younger sister of the indigo-haired woman, one Hyuuga Hanabi, had never actually heard her brother-in-law yelling outside of an actual fight. _He's usually so calm and happy... at least since he married onee-chan._

"But Naruto-"  
The response to the yelling, whining statement was immediate and forceful, again. "I said _NO_, Sarutobi Konohamaru! I will _not_ allow you and Moegi to take Genin teams this time. Not with both of you so unstable right now that you think it's okay to start a shouting match with the Hokage!"

The two women at the door shared a look of pain and sadness with each other, before remembering that Hanabi was there as well, and including her in the gesture.

After all, Udon had been, not really friends, but an acquaintance of Hanabi's through her one-time boyfriend, Konohamaru.

"Boss," the young woman inside the office pleaded, "_please_ let us take teams! I... I just need a distraction! Anything! And Kono... Kono..."

Suddenly calm-sounding for the first time in what seemed like an hour, a slightly raspy, but still young voice could be heard, "Kono, Moe, you know I hate it that he's gone too, right? It's just... too soon. You guys aren't ready yet, you haven't had enough time to adjust to him being gone. You want to throw yourselves into your work, but... it never really helps. You'll just end up making mistakes, and you'll get your kids hurt- or killed. I can't let you do it."

The female, Moegi, made a sound like she was drawing in a breath to protest again, but was cut off by the other male in the office, "Moe, it's- he's right. I wouldn't do that to our kids, when... when... so it's not right for us to do it to others. There's a class next year. We'll take that one."

The shinobi in the office, if not the secretary, could hear the faint murmur of thanks from their Hokage, and the slight creak of his chair as he left it to walk around the large desk. "I love you guys, I really do. You're both so much stronger than I was at your age, and I know you'll be great sensei. Just give yourselves a little time to adjust to this, and you can get a team next year."

The woman sniffled, and mumbled a single word.

"Promise," the older man said solemnly.

A few minutes later, the two younger ninja left the office quietly, both near tears but still in control. Just as they reached the far door, not having said a word to those they passed, the tall man who lead their village for the last two and a half years filled the doorway of his office. "Sakura, Hinata... can I have a moment? Sorry, Hanabi, Kiba, to make you wait... I just..."

The younger kunoichi said nothing, only nodded, but Kiba showed remarkable- for him- understanding when he said softly, "Take your time, Naruto. I know you were always close to those three idiots."

When the two older kunoichi returned to their posts outside the door, both looked sad, but still smiled. "Shoumai-chan, Naruto is ready for you and Kiba."

Nodding to her older sister, Hanabi rose fluidly beside the other man, whose gigantic white canine followed them quietly through the door.

In many ways, the tall blonde man had stayed the same as he was when he was fifteen, but in many more ways, he had changed drastically. Now closely resembling his father, the Yondaime Hokage, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto kept his hair shorter than his father had, but it was still in a ponytail to control it's unruliness. The top, of course, still stuck out every which way. His face had become narrower, more defined, but still held a soft edge to his jaw that he'd inherited from his mother. And of course, his eyes.

Hanabi would never admit it to her older sister, but when she was a little girl she'd been captivated by his blue eyes badly enough to develop a crush on him herself. Fortunately, that had changed over the years, and was long gone before her sister developed the courage to ask Naruto out, much less marry the man- and their other wife.

Kiba, though, was essentially unchanged. He had always been hard and angular in his features since leaving puberty, and while he'd gotten a bit taller and filled out more, he had to be at least six inches shorter than their leader. Akamaru, the canine companion he'd had raised alongside him from birth, now equalled him in height- the largest dog their family had ever seen.

"You called for us, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, Hanabi-chan," he said after watching them for a moment more, "We have a bit of an issue. As I'm sure you've heard, I had originally been planning on giving this year's graduating teams of Genin to Konohamaru's team. But now that's out of the question, given Udon's death and their current emotional state. So I need backups. I need you two."

Beside her, Hanabi heard Kiba breathe a great sigh of relief, "Whew! I thought I was in trouble or something. Just a Genin team? I can handle that, no problem. How hard can it be? Kurenai-sensei did fine. So did you."

The blonde leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms, smiling, "I figured you'd be okay with it, Kiba. Let's see if you still are after you meet the twerps."

The two hammered out a few details, mostly Naruto explaining the process and some paperwork, how his pay would change from mostly doing B- and A-Class missions to D's, but adding in the consistant pay for mentoring a team. It took almost twenty minutes before the Inuzuka was satisfied, and his dog followed him out, wagging his tail furiously.

"Hanabi-chan?"

The young woman could barely hear him over the rushing in her head, a pounding that would not seem to abate. With great effort, she forced her pupils to rise so that she could look her young Hokage in the face, because that was all she could see at the time through the tunnel of darkness she seemed to be falling into.

"Hanabi-chan!"

* * *

"She's coming to," a soft, feminine voice said, just before Hanabi opened her eyes again. Abover her she could see the ceiling of the Hokage's Office, and the pink halo of hair surrounding Sakura's head as she looked with concern into the younger woman's eyes. "You okay?"

Hanabi grunted, then slowly tried to rise, rubbing the back of her head in a gesture strangely remeniscent of Naruto, but winced when she brushed her fingers across a small bump. "Ano... yeah, I think I'll be all right. Just... got a little light-headed. I haven't- been sleeping well, lately. And my birthday party the other day kind of wiped me out."

Looking around, she could see her older sister getting up from the floor behind her, _did she cradle my head on her lap again? She knows I hate that,_ Hanabi moved to stand at attention before the desk again, forcing herself to meet Naruto's eyes.

"Hokage-sama," she began, her voice betraying an unmistakable quaver, "I am afraid I do not understand. A... Genin team? You want me to be a sensei to new Genin?"

He nodded once.

"But... I'm not yet a Jonin."

"I know," he said, now smiling, "but you will be in four days. The Academy doesn't have their Genin exam until a week after that."

Again, Hanabi swayed on her feet. This time, though, Hinata and Sakura were there, the taller medic shooting their husband a reproachful look as they guided her numbly to the large couch on the left wall. "but... don't you have to be an experienced Jonin to take a team?"

It was Sakura herself who answered that one, "No... Naruto and I were given teams right after we were promoted, too."

Hanabi said nothing, not trusting herself to remain conscious. _Never fainted in my life, but this... I..._

The blonde man gave her a few minutes to calm down a bit, focusing on her breathing, before he continued, "I know it's sudden, and you're very young. But I have every confidence you will pass the Jonin exam you signed up for- last year if you remember- with flying colors. I think I've come to know you pretty well, Hanabi-chan, and I think you'll be a great sensei. Maybe the best."

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama," she said after a long while, forcing herself to stand from the couch, _it's improper to relax during a mission discussion,_ "I'm afraid I must decline. I do not feel I can satisfy the requirements of a sensei, even if I do pass the Jonin exam."

Naruto sighed.

"I guess it's plan B, then. Hinata, you think you're up for it? We can have Kurenai-chan stay with the kids, I guess..." the depressed, worried note in his voice would have shamed almost any ninja of Konoha into immediate action to stop it, but Hanabi was a trained kunoichi, and a master of the Byakugan to rival her sister and older cousin despite her younger age.

_He's faking it, that's never going to happen- not with four children to raise._

"Ano... I suppose I can give it a shot, Naru-chan," Hinata began nervously, _Oh, sister is a great actor..._ "But I haven't been an active Kunoichi for a few years. I am a little worried..."

The discussion continued to work on Hanabi's resolve for an hour or more. The secretary had knocked on the door quietly twice to remind the Hokage of other appointments, but she was pointedly ignored other than for Naruto to say, "Reschedule," then return to the conversation he and Hinata were having around her.

This, of course, only amused the younger kunoichi.

_Still, very rude of them to pretend I'm not here._

Sakura's stomach growled a little while later, so she got up quietly to place an order with Ichiraku's for delivery, then returned. Hanabi was still sitting quietly when she did, and the medic's spouses were still continuing their discussion, now getting a little desperate as they started to repeat topics. Sakura smiled. _I knew Plan B wouldn't work._

"Hokage-sama," Hanabi said after a little while longer, "I appreciate this, and I'm honored that you think I'm ready, but- I do not share your faith in my maturity. In a year, perhaps two, I will be more comfortable taking this duty. Until then... no."

Hinata's face fell, but Naruto, for the first time in over an hour, turned to look at Hanabi, feigning surprise that she was still there. "Hanabi-chan, I'm sorry- what were you saying?"

Near-white eyes rolled, and a corner of the young woman's thin mouth twitched before she replied, "I know full well what you were doing. I knew from the beginning, and I know you know that I knew that you knew. So- drop the act, please? I'm just- not ready."

The brunette was more than a little jealous of the silent communication that passed between the three other ninja in glances and subtle shifts of posture and body-language that even she couldn't decipher. All she could detect was resolve and a little sadness.

"I really didn't want to have to do this, Hanabi, but you've left me no choice. Hinata, please call your father and Neji."

Hanabi's tanned face paled at once.

_Neji-nii-san? O- O- Ototo-sama? Coming he- here?_

It took only ten minutes or so for the Hokage to explain the entire situation to Hiashi and Neji. The younger Jonin only said a few words to Naruto, "I am sorry about my cousin's lack of faith in your decisions, Hokage-sama. On her behalf, I apologize," then gave a deep bow to the man he looked down on so many years ago.

Her father said even less. He, like his nephew, bowed deeply to the blonde, then turned to Hanabi and said in a low, carrying voice, "I am disappointed in you, my daughter," and then left the room, Neji following behind him.

_Ototo-san... is disappointed in me? But... I've never let him down before. I... I'm one of the strongest Hyuuga in history. How come he isn't... am I still not good enough? Am I that weak? And nii-san..._

As the silent tears ran down the younger woman's face, the three older shinobi watched in silence.

The ramen had been delivered and eaten, aside from what Sakura had ordered for Hanabi, an hour or more ago before she could bring herself to speak, again. "Hokage-sama, I... I am too weak. I am not ready. I _have_ to say no."

Naruto sighed again and slumped back into his chair. Behind him, now, his wives each put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Plan D, then. Hinata, I'm very sorry to ask you to do this... can you get the Chakra binders, please? After that, you can step out- probably be best to head home. You shouldn't have to see your sister arrested."

Sniffling, Hinata walked past her sister and left the room, returning to see the same strange tableau as she'd left a minute later with two leather-padded manacles with seals covering what seemed like every inch of both the outside and inside.

Hanabi was too stunned to react. _Chakra-binders? Am I... being arrested?_

"A- arr- arrested, Hokage-sama?"

He nodded gravely, "That's what happens when a shinobi refuses a mission vital to the success of a village, Hanabi-chan. It's treason. I don't have any choice."

As Hinata slipped up behind her and grabbed one arm, the younger sister yanked it back away from the older, and began screaming, "How come I'm being arrested for _protecting _this village? How come you don't see how horrible a sensei I'd be? I have a horrible temper, I'm barely trained, maybe I won't even pass the Jonin test! I've only been a Chunin for three years!"

Naruto said calmly, folding his arms on his desk, "Because you would have been a superior sensei in every way. I can see it, your father and cousin can see it, your sister can see it, Sakura-chan can too. Everyone who knows you can. But it's too late for that, I guess."

"No! You're all wrong!" she cried, still twisting away from Hinata, who made only half-hearted attempts to take the other's arm again, "I'm not ready! I'm still just a kid! Kono and Moegi would be much better, even with Udon's death, and-"

"It was Konohamaru who gave me the suggestion to have you do it, Hanabi-chan," Naruto said quietly, and the ranting stopped at once.

"K- Konohamaru did?"

The blonde nodded, "He did. The day before they left on that mission, in fact. We were at Ichiraku's, and the subject came up. He told me he'd love to, so I asked him if he knew any others. Your name was the second he mentioned, right after Moegi's. He mentioned you before Udon, even."

_And there's the crack in her armor... even years later she still has it for him, bad. Poor girl... it's pretty damned cruel using this against her._

"I... I..."

Naruto raised one finger, and Hinata backed off at once, relief all over her features. "You only have two choices, Hanabi. You can accept this mission, and do your damndest to turn these kids into fine shinobi in their own right, just like you are, or... you can be tried for treason, and live with the shame of disappointing everyone you love, who all _know_ you'll be great."

The three more experienced ninja could see the gears in the younger's head turn a few notches, each causing her to flinch almost imperceptibly, before she murmured, "O... okay."

"Excellent," the blonde said, suddenly all smiles and cheerfullness, "Your Jonin exam takes place at the ANBU fortress behind the Hokage Monument in four days. You'll pass with ease, I've already seen your skills more than once. A week after that, you'll report at six in the morning to the Academy auditorium- weather's supposed to be bad, so assignments are going to be inside this year. You'll be getting sensei pay in addition to your mission pay, plus team leader bonuses. Those are a bit larger for a Jonin than a Chunin, of course. Any other questions?"

Numbly, she shook her head.

"All right then. Go on home. I'll see you in four days- train hard for the first two, relax the third."

Her movements were stiff, almost awkward, as she turned on a heel and left the room.

"Well," Naruto said, grinning up at Sakura and Hinata, "That was easier than I thought it'd be. Let's go get some more ramen!"

**A/N:** Just over 4 full pages- decent length, but not what I normally post. No big, I guess. Yes, the characters will often seem OOC for canon. Keep in mind that at this time, Naruto and Hinata are 23, and Sakura turned 24 in February. (If I remember her b-day right- I know it's early in the year- the 5th?) That kind of age difference can mean a _lot_ in terms of... well, everything. Also, having four kids can change people, too. But you'll still see more than a few recognizable things. Like Naruto's last line. He's still there, just more mature than you've likely seen him before. Being a daddy and all... and yes, you'll see the kids soon as well. Probably chapter three, maybe four. After all... every Genin team needs D-rank missions, right? Babysitting- GO!

A final note- I have posted a minor poll on my profile, please vote. It's nothing major, but I really would appreciate the input. In short, it's whether people would prefer I focus on this story, or One Hour. The previous poll, between One Hour and my Bleach stories, was overhwelmingly (6/0) in favor of the Naruto.

Until next time, kiddies- Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2: More trouble than it's worth

**A/N**: Don't own Naruto, never will, would love to write for it. Same 'ole.

Here's chapter two! (No reviews yet... /sob a bit... but it has only been a day... /sniff some too)

**Chap. 2 More trouble than it's worth.**

Unfortunately for Hyuuga Hanabi, the Jonin exam was over entirely too soon. She had anticipated spending nearly a day, possibly longer, on written exams, interviews to test her moral and ethical strength, combat tests for all three aspects of ninja skill, and numberous wargames simulating command positions and difficult mission objectives. That all happened, of course, but the young woman semed to breeze through the tests entirely too quickly for her own liking.

Where the examiners and proctors had nothing but praise for her skill, comparing her favorably to her older cousin, Neji, Hanabi seemed to get more and more aggravated as time went on.

"This is bullshit," she was heard to say in the ready-lounge in the ANBU testing center. Many of the Jonin hopefulls who didn't know the girl were shocked that a Hyuuga, a main-branch Hyuuga nonetheless, even knew such language, much less would utter it in public.  
"I can't believe the Jonin test is this easy. What did they do, grab Chunin ones by mistake? Hell! I haven't even broken a sweat! If it'-"

"Hyuuga-san" one of the other hopefulls said between quiet pants, "it's... not the wrong test. It's exhausting. Are you sure you just... aren't _too_ prepared?"

Hanabi snorted and turned away from the speaker, a Chunin she'd been on a few minor missions with, but couldn't even remember the name of. "Don't think so. I hardly prepared at all."

She didn't notice the tense shoulders of every other hopeful slump in despair behind her.

* * *

Late that evening, she was once again in the auditorium of the ANBU compound, with all of the other hopefuls who hadn't yet given up and washed out of the test. Standing in the center of the front row, she had a perfect view of the ANBU captains who had been their examiners, each holding a piece of paper before them.

As the group began to run through the results, she tuned them out easily. Only her own results mattered, though she couldn't tell for sure if she wanted to pass or fail. _Sticking me with Genin fresh out of the academy right after I get promoted will suck so bad... but so would failing to make the cut. I'd never live it down with both Neji and Father._

Finally, after six other names and results had been read through, only two passing, she heard the lead examiner call out, "Hyuuga Hanabi."

As they had done for the others, each examiner starting on her right read through their own notes and grade on her progress. "Taijutsu- S-rank. She is superior in the Juuken style, of course, that's to be expected with a main-branch Hyuuga. She has also shown proficiency with Aikido, and Jiujitsu, both at A rank, and is fairly proficient with basic Karate, where she exhibits a B rank. Pass on Taijutsu, easily."

Hanabi gave the faintest of nods. It would have been truly embarassing to fail at what her clan was famous for. The extra styles she'd learned over the years as a Genin and Chunin had mostly been taught by her former Sensei, Aoba. While they were mostly unnecessary, she and her sensei had both felt that, in case she was somehow blinded or chakra-less, it would be safer to have a backup style. And that had saved her life on at least two occasions.

"Kenjutsu," a female ANBU that Hanabi had had no problems identifying even with the mask said in a calm voice, "Hanabi has demonstrated only the minimal knowledge necessary to pass. She has exhibited A-rank skill in Kendo and Kenjutsu, with her preferred weapon being a light katana. As well, she has an A-rank proficiency in shuriken, kunai, and senbon use, and a B-rank in Bo staff use. Pass, although I would recommend a greater focus in weapon use if, in future, Hanabi-san elects to apply for the ANBU."

_No surprise there, Tenten. You always say people need to learn more weapons._

Now the lead examiner spoke, as he had been the one to test her on Ninjutsu, "Hyuuga Hanabi demonstrated passable ability with two elements. She has A-rank ability in Lightning jutsu, including the requisite two A-rank jutsu. In this case, those are the Lightning Hound and the Strike of the Kirin technique. As for her secondary element of Fire, she has again demonstrated the requisite two A-class jutsu, those being Grand Fire Flower, and a technique of her own devising. This jutsu is called, 'Katon: Fireburst from the Heavens'. It is similar to another technique of her own creation, though far more powerful than the original. It is easily A-rank, and may be S. An easy Pass for this Hyuuga. I'd like it on her record, though, that Miss Hyuuga knows at least one combat-useful jutsu of each element."

_Again, no surprise. My biggest problem has been finding teachers for Lightning Release jutsu, but there's still a few around town._

Still moving down the line, another blonde kunoichi that Hanabi recognized easily spoke in a high, lilting voice, "In ability to withstand interrogation techniques, Hyuuga Hanabi has scored an A. Her natural aloofness combined with her clan's strict training has given her abundant resources to draw on should she become captured and interrogated by the enemy. Pass. However, I also would like to make a note. There are signs that Hanabi-san could break very easily if certain buttons were pushed. Unfortunately, I was not able to discover those buttons during our time together." Hanabi shuddered at the memory of what the Yamanaka woman had done to her while they were alone in the room below the training center.  
"I believe she would rank at no better than a C, maybe a D, if those weakness were found by an enemy and exploited."

Again, the head proctor nodded, and the results went on.

"In Genjutsu," the red-eyed woman, the only proctor not wearing an ANBU mask, spoke, "I rank Hanabi as B. She has great skill in detecting and breaking Genjutsu because of her Byakugan, but she relies on it a bit overmuch. As well, she could only exhibit one A and one B-rank Genjutsu, and only the minimal, academy-taught D-ranks. She passed, but just barely. It is my recommendation that Hyuuga Hanabi be ranked at Tokubetsu Jonin until this deficiency can be corrected."

Hanabi's heart sank into her feet at once. _Onee-chan's sensei... thinks I'm not ready? But Kurenai-sensei... I worked so hard!_

The young woman was in such shock that she missed the next proctors's results completely, and came into the one after's report half way through.  
"can't guarantee a similar situation won't come up, of course. But still, in terms of political knowledge, she's adequate for a Jonin. Pass."

Hanabi barely resisted the urge to cross her fingers and tremble with anticipation. If the one she'd missed wasn't too hard on her, and the last one coming up ranked her well, and the head examiner overlooked her weak Genjutsu...

"Hanabi-chan demonstrated admirable ability as a team leader. Her mission results where she was in charge of a squad total three A-rank, seven B-rank, and fifty-four C-rank. That's just about the minimum necessary for a Jonin, but she did cross the line. In addition, her temperament," here, Hanabi heard 'temper', "suits a team leader well. She can be alternately warm and kind, cool and efficient, and scary as hell. However, she acts as needed in any situation, and doesn't lose her head easily. I think she's ready for this. Pass."

There was a sneaking suspicion now, that Hanabi had been mistaken in guessing the last examiner's identity. She had thought, at first, that it had been her older sister's former teammate, Aburame Shino. The cool, calm way he'd been talking, combined with the long trenchcoat, which covered most of his face with the hood up, and the ANBU mask had seemed almost a guarantee. But now...

_Shino-san wouldn't swear at all. Even to say hell. Is that... naaah. It couldn't be._

But there was a barely-noticable glance between the head proctor and the last man who'd spoken. The one in the coat gave the most subtle of nods, and Kurenai scowled. _Does that... does that mean..._

"One recommendation for Tokubetsu, and seven straight-up passes, only two with minimal scores. Well done, Hyuuga Hanabi. As of this moment, you are a Jonin of Konoha."

She almost didn't hear it through the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

* * *

"Congratulations, cousin," Neji said when he met her at the door of the family home late that evening.  
"But, cousin," Hanabi replied, surprised, "How did you know I passed already?"

He smiled, "Tenten."

"Ah."

"Come, your father and sister would like to celebrate with you.

Hanabi smiled.

* * *

In many ways, the following week was hell for Hanabi. Knowing that she'd be subjected to the near-constant presence of three annoying brats was bad enough. Knowing that, even when they were apart, she'd be forced- one way or another- to think about them near-constantly was even worse. But the thing that made her dread this mission more than any other? The bane of her existence. The reason she would have done her best to refuse the Clan Heiress title of it had been given to her.

Hanabi absolutely _hated_ paperwork.

However, beginning on the Monday after her promotion, she was woken by the soft tap on her door of her older sister, "Shoumai-chan, I brought Sakura-chan to help you with some things. Are you awake?"

Groaning, the brunette forced herself to sit upright, and called, "Kind of. Let me get in the shower... has she had breakfast, yet?"

Forty minutes later, only slightly more awake, Hanabi groaned again when Sakura, smiling widely, pulled out a massive pile of papers from somewhere she hadn't seen and dropped them onto the almost-empty table in the room where she'd shared breakfast with the two Hyuuga girls.

"This," the pinkette said, "is the paperwork for your team. It's changed around some, the procedure, so don't be too worried. It was three times this when I got my team."

Hanabi gasped.

"Okay, now this sheet..."

Seven hours later, when Sakura had finally shown herself out, Hanabi put her aching head on the table and cried for the first time in six years.

* * *

That Friday, the young woman was again on the verge of tears. Nerves and outright _fear_ had kept her awake almost all night. Fear of screwing the kids up, fear of letting them down, fear of getting them killed... it was enough to make her go insane.

But, she was still a proud kunoichi.

At precisely five-fifty-five AM, she walked in the office of the sensei's lounge of the Academy for the first time, to find three other sensei waiting. She knew each of the three by name, but only the slightly-graying Umino Iruka had any real familiarity with her. He'd taught her class at the Academy for all four of her years there, and through Naruto, she'd maintained a fair degree of contact with the scarred shinobi.  
"Ah, good morning, Hanabi!" he said, smiling, "Ready for the big day?"

Not put off by her grunt of a reply, he continued, "Just waiting on Kiba, then we can go over the final paperwork, and actually assign the teams!"

Hanabi groaned again before dropping into the nearest chair with her face in her hands.

However, all the nervous anxiety she'd felt since this whole nightmare began doubled when she found herself, three hours later, outside a classroom door beside the older Inuzuka and another ninja she didn't know. She could distantly hear Iruka's voice through the door, saying something about how proud those who'd graduated should be to finally be real ninja, before walking back to the door and calling the unknown ninja inside by name.

After a few minutes, three brats- no, kids, no, _Genin_, followed that ninja out the door and, glancing at the other two Jonin, followed their new sensei down the hall.

"And now, Team Nine. It will be lead by Inuzuka Kiba. It's members are-" but the rest was cut off by the sound of the closing door.

Once again, Hanabi had nothing to do but wait and worry as time ticked by interminably. But this time, she couldn't even take comfort in the fact that the other two ninja had seemed as anxious as she'd been. Because when Kiba opened the door leading his own team, he had a wide grin, and it got even wider when the three pre-teens saw his gigantic dog and started to cheer.

"Hanabi," Iruka called softly, two, three, and then four times before she registered him speaking again. A knowing smile was on his face when she faced him again at last, Kiba's team long gone.  
"We're ready for you."

_I can't do this... I'm not..._

"I believe in you," Iruka said in a low voice, then moved aside, still holding the door open for her.

There were three students left in the classroom.

"And last but not least, Team Ten, led by Hyuuga Hanabi."

The last three glanced at each other, two with some displeasure at the third, and he returned it to both of the others, but those two smiled at each other before returning their eyes to their new and old sensei.

Indicating each in turn, Iruka said, "Gendo Kenkei," a skinny, tall boy with black hair and blue eyes, one of the ones who'd glared at the other boy.

"Shiba Kinyue," pointing at the lone female, who had classical oriental features and long, silky black hair, "and Ioka Toride," moving to the last, who'd been glared at by his other teammates. His hair was a burnt umber color similar to Hanabi's, but a few shades darker, and he sat with his arms crossed tightly. Now, though, he seemed to extend his glare to Hanabi as well.

"This is your new sensei and team leader until you make Chunin. Hanabi-san is an excellent kunoichi, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot from her."

The girl nodded toward her new sensei, smiling, and the boy beside her's eyes raked up and down Hanabi rather blatantly, before he smiled and nodded a greeting as well. The other only continued to glare. "Right. As Iruka-sensei said, I'm Hyuuga Hanabi. You can call me Hanabi-sensei or Shishio, or just Sensei. Let's go, time's a wasting. We need to get started on your training."

All three of them groaned- the other two sensei had hinted that today would be easy, Kiba had even offered to treat his team to lunch.

As the four left, Hanabi walking stiffly again, Iruka only smiled.

* * *

At training ground six a few hours later, Hanabi was scowling at the three Genin laying around her, panting. "You guys are pathetic. You think just because you graduated the Academy you're real ninja? Hell, I could have flattened the three of you the day I got out myself. Now you don't stand a chance."

The girl sniffled, holding one arm tightly against her burgeoning chest. Beside her, her apparent boyfriend prodded what would soon be an impressive black eye. The worst, though, was the one she'd dubbed in her head 'the loner'. He'd immediately pounced when she said to attack, and to be honest, his Taijutsu was pretty good for a kid, but it wasn't even close to enough. With the three of them working together, and Hanabi using only basic Karate, maybe they could have hit her. Once.

But him alone? No... at least he'd been persistant. Still, it irked the young sensei that she'd had to basically pound the kid into submission for over an hour. He simply hadn't given up.

"Oh, sorry, Hanabi-chan," a gravelly voice called from the edge of the training area, "didn't know you were using it. I'll head to the next one."

She glanced at the blonde for a moment, then down at the children at her feet for a moment, then said, "Stay here."

Then, walking toward the tall Hokage, she called, "Hokage-sama, may I have a word?"

When she'd caught up to where he waited, the first thing out of his mouth was, "Didn't go easy on them, huh?"

Taken aback, Hanabi glanced back at the children still laying where she'd left them, and muttered, "Of course I did. They're just so _weak_. It's... I can't do this! I haven't got the patience!"

Naruto nodded once, looking thoughtful, then said in a low voice, "Let me tell you something that Iruka-sensei told me, when I first heard I was gonna get a team."

Hanabi listened closely. As close as her sister and the Hokage were, this could well be a priceless piece of wisdom. Of course, given that it was also Naruto, it could be worthless garbage. But, still...

"Iruka-sensei told me that he was a passable Chunin before he became a teacher, but only just. Now, he's probably able to make Jonin, based on basics alone- he just doesn't know the A-ranked jutsu that's required. Do you know the difference?"

Hanabi shook her head.

"He explained it something like this... it's a sensei's job to teach their students, right?"

She nodded.

"Well, guess what a student's job is?"

"To learn," was the young woman's automatic reply.

Naruto grinned, "Yeah. But they have another job, too. Every one of the students teaches the sensei something. Helps them grow."

Now honestly surprised, Hanabi couldn't resist asking the older man, "What did you learn from your students?"

Now, the Hokage gave one of his famous, cheerey smiles, and replied, "From Inoko I learned that, as smart as I am, even a kid can teach me new things- all the time. From Tenshi, I learned that you have to watch how far you go- some bridges aren't meant to be crossed. From Kamisori, I learned that just because I was taught by someone great at teaching doesn't mean I'd be a good teacher by default. There's more, of course, but those were the biggest... kind of."

"I... see..."

"Look, Hanabi- give them a chance. They'll grow on you, I promise. We don't just assign teams at random, you know," grinning again, "Besides... you haven't even gotten to know them, yet. Here's some more advice, though... Kakashi started us off like you're doing. We turned out okay... but we had a really hard time to start. Asuma-sensei took his kids to lunch, let them get to know each other for two whole days before he started real training. Kurenai-sensei, according to your sister, spent a full two days and nights with the four of them alone out in the woods- where they had no one else to fall back on or rely on but each other. And their teamwork was always some of the best. Gai-sensei's team, according to Tenten, did a similar thing- but for a month, mixing training in as well. Of course, we all know he's bat-shit crazy, so... maybe that's a bit extreme."

Hanabi finally smiled.

"What I'm getting at, is... you choose what kind of sensei you want to be. And then just do it. You know how each of those teams turned out, and what each specializes in, so... think about it a bit, make a decision, and then run with it."

The smile vanished, and she asked with a confused expression, "But aren't a team's ideal type assigned during the actual team assignments?"

The blonde nodded, "Sure, kind of. We pegged Kiba's team as a scout-type, Kentaro's as a combat-type, and yours as a balance-type. That being said... they're fresh clay. Mold them how you want."

With another wink, he turned away and continued walking. A few seconds later, though, Hanabi asked one last question of the village leader, "Hokage-sama! Thanks for the help, but... what else did your team teach you?"

His answer came back clear as day, with laughter evident in his voice, "Patience. Lots and lots of patience."

Any sign of hope that had been building in the new sensei vanished with another groan at once.

**A/N:** Another shortish-mid chapter for yer viewing pleasure, sirs and madams. Hope you enjoyed it. But, judging by the lackluster (read: lack of) response so far, it's either A) not that interesting, or B) people aren't reading Naruto fics in general anymore. /shrug Could be either, both, whatevs. I'm gonna keep writing, 'cause it's what I do. Still, some feedback would be nice. :)


	3. Chapter 3: Not quite failures

**A/N**: Don't own Naruto, never will, would love to write for it. Same 'ole.

Here's chapter three. Please don't forget to review, or favs, or something- motivation, people, it's all about the motivation!

**Chap. 3 Not quite failures**

It didn't take very long after her talk with Naruto to figure out what kind of sensei she wanted to be. While those he'd listed had all been great sensei in their own right, there was another teacher she had always looked up to more- Senju Tsunade. While the young woman had never been close to the much older Godaime, she had heard a lot of stories about the woman and her training methods, from her sister, Sakura, and their mutual friend, Ino. Each had been trained, in part, by the old matron, and the tough- well, if she were honest with herself, _brutal_ training style she'd displayed had turned relatively weak, non-combat oriented kunoichi into individual powerhouses.

And that was the least Hanabi would accept from her own team. They might be worthless now- or next to it, at least- but by the time she was done, they'd either have washed out or be ranked among the very best Genin that Konoha had to offer.  
Of course, there was only one way to do that...

_Take a few lessons from Gai-sensei's book. A few more from Naruto-sama and Sakura-nee-san... and quite a few from Tsunade-hime. Stir ingredients dry... _

_In a seperate bowl, combine three parts Onee-chan, two parts Neji-nii-san, one part Ojou-sama, and five parts Hanabi. Stir well._

_Combine, pour into baking pan..._

_Cook on 'lethal' for three months..._

_And Bam!_

_A recipe for instant Über-Genin!_

_They might even be ready in time for the next Chunin exam... too bad the cutoffs already passed for this one, though. Not that they'd be ready anyway. Still, it might have taught them a valuable lesson about how far they have to go._

She was broken from her musings by the sound of her teammates arguing _again_. For the third time that week, since she'd first been assigned, two of them had, once again, ganged up on the other. The surly Ioka Toride leaned back against the tree in silence, with his arms folded firmly across his chest, while the slightly taller but much lighter Gendo Kenkei and the pretty Shiba Kinyue both insulted his lack of personality and many other traits the pair either refused to see or simply wanted to tear out of the other boy.

_Well, shit. So much for my plan... guess I'll have to put it back some more. _Maybe_ we'll make the next Chunin exam..._

"All right, you two, shut the hell up."

At least, Hanabi thought, the two had learned to be quiet when she told them to- they shut their mouths at once and turned as one to face her. Toride simply turned his head, but at least it was in her direction instead of away from it.  
"I've finished designing our training plan, so no more dinking around. This half-assed stuff we've been doing up till now doesn't mean shit out in the real world. From today on, we're gonna _work_ to be shinobi. We clear?"

The two young lovebirds shared a groan, but, as usual, Toride only gave the faintest of nods and said nothing. _Though it's pretty clear he's as annoyed as they are- good. It's time to learn a few lessons._ "I had originally planned to have a mission today. But you little shits aren't ready to spend a day pulling weeds- you haven't earned that right."

Hanabi was pleased to see the girl wince at the thought, but at least she stifled the groan this time. "That being said, you are closer than you were. The biggest problem we have is lack of _esprit de corps_. You twerps know what that means?"

Kenkei spoke up at once, "It's camaraderie, Sensei, isn't it?"

Hanabi nodded, folding her arms across her stomach, "It is. But before I explain why that's a problem, let's do a hypothetical excercise. Say... I was standing in the bushes back there," and hooked a thumb behind her for a moment, "for the entire between the time I told you to arrive and the time I showed up myself. What do you think I'd have heard and seen?"

Toride's scowl deepend further. He hated, Hanabi knew, to be protected. Especially from something he thought he dealt with quite well. _Just like I used to. Shit doesn't fly at all in the real world. Naruto-sama's always had the right of it._

It was Kinyue who worked up the nerve to answer, though Hanabi could see her struggling to admit her own guilt. "You... you'd have heard us picking on Toride, Sensei."

"And?"

"We... that was it, Sensei. Wasn't it?" Kenkei asked, his eyebrows raising.

Hanabi smiled wickedly. "I haven't any idea, Kenkei. I just got here. This is a hypothetical excercise."

Surprise lit up all three of the Genin's faces at once, forcing Hanabi's mouth to twitch up into the faintest of smiles at how easily she'd gotten them to walk into it. "Well... since you've fessed up without me forcing it out of you, I think I'm going to let this time slide. Next time, though, any team member I find tearing down another is off the team- and won't have the chance to go back to the Academy. Is that clear?"

Toride took this chance to speak up for the first time that morning, "Sensei, you really have the authority to keep people from going back to the Academy?"

Hanabi's wicked smile was back in force at once. "No... not the authority. But if I permanently sever your chakra channels, you'll never be ninja again, now will you?"

So it wasn't the most subtle threat... but it worked. At least, temporarily. The sudden fear in their faces was priceless.

"So here's the plan. The three of you are joining me for survival training. I haven't decided where, exactly, but we're going to be gone as long as I can get permission from Hokage-sama. So pack for at least a week, probably a month or more. You all know what supplies that requires, _right _?"

The sudden growl at the end of the sentence shocked any already-planned supplies right out of their little heads, making Hanabi smile inwardly yet again. _Shock training is a great thing. Give me another month, and not a damned thing in the world will phase these kids._

Kinyue stammered out an answer yet again, "Umm... the Academy said never take more than a week's worth of clothing, but always take two spares. Between two days and a week's rations... wasn't it a Soldier Pill, whatever weapons are required, and..."

As the young girl continued to rattle off the list, Hanabi's mind began to wander. _Technically right. I guess I could _tell_ them how the standard kit works in real life... but I think they'll learn better the hard way. And then there's the specialization of kits. But we don't have a medic, so that'd be pointless, at least. Maybe later._

When the younger girl had finally finished, Hanabi gave a curt nod, "You have two hours to get all that shit ready. I'm going to meet you at the main gate. If you're late, you're not going- and you don't want to know what's going to happen to you then."

As the three Genin tore away as fast as they could, the Hyuuga distinctly heard three separate gulps.

* * *

Naruto had been surprisingly agreeable to the idea. Hanabi, at first, hadn't known what to make of it when he agreed as soon as she'd explained her plans, even suggesting Suna, or perhaps Iwa as a destination. He had, however, asked that they take no longer than a month, as he had a mission upcoming he thought would be perfect for their team.

He signed the necessary paperwork off at once and handed them to the new sensei before she first noticed the subtle signs.

Slightly dialated pupils. Reddened cheeks and neck. Rapid, shallow breathing. Those, alone weren't enough to make her more than mildly suspicious. She'd never known Naruto to be sick, but it wasn't outside the realms of possibility. However, when her actute eyes picked up the tremble in his hands, a catch in his breath, and the sound of someone _else_ breathing that she couldn't see, Hanabi put one and one together all too quickly._ Onee-chan or Sakura-nee-san... under the desk... Hokage Office... OhcrapHanabigetoutnownownow!_

She only prayed that by the time she'd returned in a month, both she and Naruto would be able to escape the embarrassment... or better yet, both forget it had ever happened. And that's to say nothing of whichever of her Hokage's wives was actually under the desk. _No, don't think about it, you don't want to know!_

* * *

Unlike her Genin team, Hanabi had already learned a lesson that most ninja learned within their first month- always be prepared. For anything. Her one-week kit was already safely sealed away into a scroll occupying her Jonin vest. A backup occupied the bottom of her main weapon's pouch. And, if worst came to worst, she had a few supplies sealed onto the inside of the one piece of jewelry she wore, a black anklet that fit so snuggly and was so thin that a cursory glance would most likely mistake it as a tattoo. Three kits may have seemed overkill to many, but Hanabi had learned from the best- and the best usually had more. In addition, she had to take into account the possibility that one or more of her Genin would be missing something vital- another reason for more backups. _I'll be damned if I lose one of them just because we ran out of wire or something stupid._

The wait for the Genin, as a result, seemed interminable. The speed with which Naruto had agreed, signed the paperwork, and Hanabi had then fled the office meant that she had more than an hour and a half to kill. _Means more time for me to think up evil plans, though._

She hadn't gotten far, though, before the first of her team showed up. "Sensei."

It wasn't the most eloquent of greetings, she knew, but then, Toride didn't speak much. _One of the reasons he's my favorite- or at least, the only one I can stand._

"Toride."

Nothing else was said until the other two- together, as usual- approached from a side alley.

Glancing at the sun, Hanabi had to hide another smile. _Well shit. Fifteen minutes early. There might be hope for these worms yet._

Without another word, she started walking, the Genin, not daring to question her just yet, followed silently.

* * *

They had been moving almost directly north for two full days at a steady clip before Kinyue worked up the figurative balls to ask their close-mouthed sensei where she was taking them.

The answer, of course, was no more than they'd come to expect- but at least she answered them.  
"Tea."

"That once country that's between Oto and Taki?" the girl asked, looking backward at the older woman for a moment.

Hanabi nodded. "We're going to the far north coast. We'll spend a day or two on the cliffs, then hitch a boat there to our final destination."

At once, she could detect more annoyance coming from at least two of them. Some, she was sure, because of the promise of more travel to come, and some because the thought of spending more than a day on a cliffside was a daunting task for almost anyone, shinobi or not.

* * *

The smell of salt was powerful when they crested the incline, giving them their first view of the ocean, vast and ice-blue, stretching out further than they could ever hope to see- Byakugan or otherwise.

It wasn't until they followed their sensei up to the very edge of the cliff, held together mostly by the roots of the thick, scraggely grass that frequented shorelines, that they really got a good glimpse of their purpose, though.

There was a ledge, wide enough for the four to camp on, almost exactly half way down the bluff. The dark stone was dry, so far as Hanabi could tell, but in the slightest of storms- and a squall seemed to be approaching, if her weather sense was any good- the whole ledge would be sodden as if it'd been underwater in minutes. She knew from experience that only the worst waves would reach the ledge, it was over fifty feet up, after all, but the rain running down the cliff above would drench anything on it.  
"So, here's the deal. Get out your wire, climb down to the ledge. Don't fall. Take your full kit, you'll need it."

Kinyue almost began to whine, but a warning glare from her boyfriend cut it off before Hanabi had a chance. _Good._

"Come on," she said after a moment, "what are you waiting for? Sunset? That'll help! Really!"

It was the first time any of her team had even considered that she might use sarcasm. It wasn't well done, to be sure, but it still shocked them into action- which was, of course, the Jonin's reason for acting at all.

Once they'd secured their lines and begun rapelling down the cliff, Toride first as usual, _doesn't scare easy, that one,_ Hanabi stepped up to the edge again and looked down, watching from above.

"Don't fall, now..."

Kenkei looked up, his eyes wide, but the others seemed too focused on the task to bother.

Grinning widely again, Hinata moved one foot over to the pin holding the taller boy's line in place, and made in painfully obvious that she was about to kick it out.

_Just like taking candy from a baby._

Horrified, he loosened his grip enough to slide down the rest of the way as quickly as possible. He dropped the last fifteen feet without holding onto the line at all, and even from here Hanabi could see that the kid had burned his hands so badly they'd be bleeding for hours._ Moron._  
She rolled her eyes, forced some chakra into her feet, and stepped over the cliff with a forward lean.

Toride was, like his teammates, wide-eyed at their sensei's actions, but only he was currently watching her as she walked calmly down the cliff.

Kenkei was holding his arms out, whimpering softly, _pussy_,and Kinyue was holding her hands out to them to get a better look.

A few feet above them, Hanabi stopped walking and started talking, her arms folded once again over her chest. It was a little harder to see them with her hair hanging in front of her face, but she could still read expressions well enough. "All right, lesson one. Trust."

Kinyue looked up at her coldly, not even reacting to the apparent miracle. "Trust, Sensei? Trust that you won't try to _kill_ your own team?!"

The girl's growing volume did nothing but amuse Hanabi. "Yes, exactly. Sure, I made a few motions with my foot. But the line's still secure. Trust. It's my job to keep you brats alive, and I'm not going to hurt you or kill you unless I have to. Notice, I don't threaten you like that."

Still hurting visibly, Kenkei almost yelled, "Don't threaten us?! You threaten us all the time!"

Hanabi's smile widened a bit, "Yes, yes I do. But not with harm. I can kick you off the team, I can ruin your career, but I won't kill you. I won't throw you off a cliff. I won't let anything happen to you, on my life. That's my biggest job as a sensei."

She could see it in his eyes. Grudgingly, even Kenkei had to admit that she hadn't, in fact, been the one to hurt him- it had been himself. He still wasn't very happy about the deception, though.

"Lesson two- and this is the killer. Always, _always_, look Underneath the Underneath. At first glance, yeah, it looked like I was gonna pull out the pin and let you fall, right?"

Kenkei nodded.

"Right... so, look underneath. Why would I do so? What motivation did I have?"

Toride smirked, "'cause he's a prick and probably deserves it, that's why."

Hanabi glared at once, and he fell silent. Both of them ignored the glares of their other teammates. "Wrong. On the surface, maybe. He _is_ a prick, after all. But he's still my teammate, and I wouldn't hurt him unless I had _no _choice. To save his life, I'd cut off a leg. That's about it. With me so far?"

Behind the conversation, Hanabi's eyes could still pick out the growing realization in the other two that she was talking to them while standing sideways on the cliff face above them- but they weren't there yet.

"Instead, how about we look deeper- We could say that the only reason I did it was to prove a point. To teach a lesson- even this one. Could that be right?"

Again, all three agreed quietly.

"Okay, so what's deeper than that?"

Again, it was Kinyue who answered, "You were warning us not to take trust for granted? 'cause you never know who's gonna stab you in the back, right?"

_Damn brat. So close, but so damned far._

"No," Hanabi returned with a soft sigh, "but you're close. You should trust your teammates and friends. Yes, they might stab you in the back, might betray you in the worst way- but we're ninja. We're supposed to be able to handle shit like that. The lesson is, don't take shit for granted. It has nothing to do with trust. Just because it _looked_ like I was gonna kill you," eyeing Kenkei severely, "doesn't mean I was going to."

Once she'd seen them all nod, still thinking hard about it, she took the last few steps down and took the taller boy's hands in her own.  
"I'm not a pro medic, but I've picked up a few things. I can help you out."

* * *

The squall was getting closer, Hanabi could sense it. The air was electrified, but the clouds hadn't yet solidified. _Soon, though- no more than two more hours._ Their lunch had been light enough, but examining Kenkei's hands again, she pronounced them strong enough to bear his weight.

"Right then, here's the first part of your cliff training. Your lines are still secure- so go on up."

They each groaned, but only for a moment. A glare sent towards the trio had them up and moving in seconds, leaving Hanabi to secure the few possessions they'd left lying around the ledge against the growing wind.

A few minutes later, she'd had time to watch them each reach the top. When Kinyue, the last up, had called down that she'd made it, Hanabi said, "Come on back down. No resting. You each have to make ten reps up and down each before you can rest."

The wind prevented her from hearing the groans, but she knew full well they were loud. She grinned again.

* * *

The two boys had finished fifteen minutes before Kinyue, she had a full round-trip climb left on them when Toride finished. At first, the two boys couldn't fathom why she was glaring at them with steel in her almost-white eyes. All they knew was that they were becoming more and more uncomfortable as time went by. The wind, the cold rain that had started a few minutes before, those were bad enough- but the disapproving look on their scary sensei's face was the worst by far.

A few minutes later, when Kinyue had dropped, panting, to sit beside Kenkei, Hanabi shouted, "Stand up!"

All three of the Genin jumped.

_Yeah, she's a decent kunoichi in one respect, at least. Good reaction time._

"All three of you fail today's lesson. All for different reasons."

"What?!"

"Nani?!"

"But Sensei!"

"Shut up."

Kinyue, still visibly exhausted, looked quite hurt that she'd failed after all her effort, forcing herself to finish that last lap after the other two had started resting.

But the majority of her glares were fixed on the two boys.

"Kinyue, you took too long. No dinner for you. You also have to have first and last watch. Get bundled up now, it's going to be a long night and you need to keep warm- away from the fire."

The girl and her boyfriend both looked mutinous, but both knew better by now than to argue with the Jonin.

"Kenkei, Toride, I'm very disappointed in you. What is the whole purpose of this training trip?"

"Cam- cameraderie?" the taller answered, sharing a questioning look- the first non-hostile one she'd seen between the two- with the other boy.

Hanabi nodded curtly, "So why didn't you stick with your team? Why did you abandon Kinyue on her last run?"

The brunette caught on first, "I... I'm sorry, Sensei. Should I have kept going?"

"No," causing his eyes to widen, "you _both_ should have kept going. Training- no matter what- isn't done until you are _all_ done. That's one of my big rules. A team is only as strong as the weakest member. So if she's taking longer at a task, you do it with her. Encourage, give tips, whatever it takes- but you don't stop until she's caught up. Same goes for her when you're lagging on something. Talent's one thing- if Toride is better at Taijutsu, I don't expect you to be as good as he is. But if he's still training in it, so are you. Make up the gap as much as you can, whenever you can. That's the route to strength in my team. You got it?"

The boys nodded, and she could just hear the subtle shift of cloth over the wind that told her that Kinyue had agreed as well.  
"Right, then. Kenkei, you have second watch, Toride, you have third. I'll take fourth- only one hour watches, tonight. You probalby won't get much sleep, anyway."

_Tonight's definitely going to teach them to bring tents next time... wish I'd thought to bring my own, damn it all._

**A/N:** Always, always, remember to review please. :) I can't say I'll stop writing without 'em- that's tacky and dumb. But it does help to keep me going, especially at a good rate. :)


	4. Chapter 4: Tree Climbing Mk II, and more

**A/N**: Don't own Naruto, never will, would love to write for it. Same 'ole.

Here's chapter four. Please don't forget to review, or favs, or something- motivation, people, it's all about the motivation!

_**A note**_: There is no lemon in this chapter, though there is mention of lemony-type-goodness. Some of it's with adults, some of it's with kids- they're twelve. No, they don't get any action- but they're in some pretty heavy make-out type situations. There is some partial nudity described. If this turns you off or isn't your cup of tea for some reason, feel free to skip it when Hanabi goes upstairs. When she goes back down, it's safe again- and a bit before that. (It really starts when the ninja she meets leaves her in the hall)

Also, a heads up- this will not be the last time underaged kids are involved in sexual situations in this story. There will probably be at least one actual lemon involving such, but I won't say who or when. Why will be pretty obvious at the time. Not for a bit, yet, though.

**Chap. 4** **Tree-climbing Mark II, and then some**

Hanabi was all smiles at the all-too-obvious misery of the three children in her care when the sun broke over the mountains barely visible to the east. The water between their position and the sun rising over Kaminari no Kuni was blinding, but the blue of the ocean below was breathtaking in the crisp morning air.  
"Come on, you lazy bums, get up! You have five minutes to be ready for training, or no breakfast!"

Kenkei made it with three seconds to spare.  
"All right," Hanabi said with an annoyed sigh, "I guess we can take ten to eat. Coals are worthless, so eat your breakfast cold. While you eat, it's time for another lesson."

They were all ears as she explained the basics of chakra-walking, and informed them that it was one of the lowest Genin-level skills- and that they'd be doing it by the end of the day, or die trying.

At first, they'd been impressed with her skill at doing so, but as she explained the process, it became less and less magical, and more and more annoying.  
"Come on, Sensei," Kinyue whined for the fifth time, "how come we gotta do this? My chakra control's already great, and even Toride's not too bad."

"Because. Do it. Now."  
Grumbling, she joined the two boys standing in front of the cliff. When she'd reached them, standing between the two boys as usual, Hanabi said, "Wait."

The Jonin walked over to them and took the other girl's shoulders, forcing her to take Toride's place, and he to hers. "This will work better. You guys are learning to get along better, right? Teamwork. And I get the feeling you two are spending too much time together, anyway- it'll do you some good to be apart."

They grumbled loudly, all three of them, but Hanabi didn't bother to stop their whining this time. She only said, "Get going."

Two hours later, it was getting very hard for the older kunoichi to hold in the laughter.

The only thing that had kept her from losing it had been the drop in morale it would undoubtedly cause. "Still think it's too easy, kiddies?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Sensei, this is _impossible_," Kenkei moaned, "Are you _sure_ this is a Genin-level skill?"

Still smiling, Hanabi nodded. "Yeap. It's the first skill my Jonin-sensei taught our team. We started on trees, though. They're harder- they break if you put too much chakra into them. Here, you only have to worry about too little."

Toride's eyes lit up at once, but the other two didn't seem to have caught the hint.

Still, after she'd urged them all back up from their break to try again, the boy who supposedly had the worst chakra control among them made it a full nine steps up the cliff on his next attempt.

Of course, the joy of his success was marred by the thump as he landed, ass-first, on the ledge. The laughter of all three of his teammates didn't help.

"Good job," Hanabi said through barely-controlled giggles a few minutes later- it wouldn't do to let her Genin hear her giggle, after all- laughing was bad enough. "You got a long way up. Why don't you share what you figured out, and see how you do this time?"

She noted that it was only with some reluctance that he actually did so, but by the time he'd choked out, "Use lots and lots of chakra- as much as you can get out. When we move onto trees, we'll have to tone it back, I guess, but like Sensei said- the ground's not going anywhere if we put in too much."

There was something wrong with that statement, of course, but the Jonin didn't feel the need to disabuse him of the notion yet. _Besides, all three of them together probably don't have the chakra to break it up even with a good Doton. But we'll fix that, too._

* * *

By the end of the day, all three of the Genin were exhausted, physically and mentally. Hanabi had allowed them only three breaks- two five-minute ones to catch their breath, and twenty for lunch. There was no way it would have been enough to rebuild their chakra supplies. _Of course, that's all part of the plan..._

This time, when the three pre-teens dropped around the rebuilt fire just after sunset, Hanabi had praise for them- for the first time.

"You guys did pretty good, today. I'm actually impressed."

"But Sensei," Kenkei responded, "none of us got even half way up the cliff!"

Hanabi smiled, a real one this time, "Yeah, but it's still better than I did my first time. My sensei did the same training with me, right here. It took me four days to get to the top without my hands."

"But you do it so well now, Sensei," Kinyue said, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, but that's just practice. By the time I say one of you has 'passed' this excercise, you'll have logged over a thousand hours doing it- on every surface you can think of. Cliffs, then trees, buildings- those are harder, but thinner so you have to mold the chakra differently, depending on the materiel it's made of- and then to ice, snow, water... if it has a surface, you can walk on it eventually."

Toride spoke up after a few more minutes of silence as they finished catching their breath, "I get why this is useful- tactically and all, if you can walk on anything, you have a lot more mobility. That's cool, but I get the feeling there's something more."

Hanabi's smile returned at once. _I knew there was a reason I liked him._ "Nice, looking Underneath the Underneath already. I thought I'd have to beat that into you a few more times, Toride.  
"First, chakra control is one of a ninja's prime skills. It affects just about everything you do. Can anyone tell me why?"

"More control means more efficiency. You don't have to use as much chakra to do the same job. Right, Sensei?"

Hanabi nodded at Kenkei, "Right. Also, working your chakra to it's limits on a daily- or near daily- basis is the fastest way to build up your reserves. I was watching you this morning with my Byakugan- I literally have more chakra at rest in my left arm- and I'm right-handed- than you three do in your whole bodies combined when using chakra actively. That's from constant practice."

All three were wide-eyed at that revelation.

"So, given those two facts, what is the real objective of this training, aside from the mobility?"

Kinyue, grinning herself now, answered, "To make us better ninja! More chakra and more efficiency means we can do more for longer, right?"

Hanabi nodded, and was about to speak again, but was interrupted by the shorter boy, "It also makes it so, eventually, we can use chakra without conscious effort, right, Hanabi-sensei?"

While she nodded once again, Hanabi noted to herself that that was the first time any of her students had actually used her given name. Each had tried calling her Hyuuga-Sensei their first day, but it had been too awkward- especially with her glaring at them- to try more than once. After that, each had seemed to move to just "Sensei" without any interplay at all. A part of the older woman was warmed at the thought that they were starting to warm up to her as well, harsh a taskmistress as she was trying to be. _Or maybe Tori's just a masochist._

They continued the 'lecture' for another hour while the four of them ate, mostly covering details of different scenarios, including the differences between walking on ice- horizontal or vertical- as opposed to, say, a brick wall.

The last topic they covered that night was Hanabi mentioning that, as of tomorrow, they would be adding another chakra-control excercise to their cliff-walking. And, over their groans, "if you guys do well enough on that, we'll be done with this place by the next day."

_Of course, I can just 'forget to mention' that we'll be cliff-walking while doing the leaf-stick technique for another day along the cliffs until we reach the port..._

* * *

It took a half-day longer than Hanabi had expected to reach the small port town of Seareach, but she couldn't complain much overall. Kenkei, pushing himself hard to beat Toride's record the previous day of three hours of uninterrupted cliff-walking, had fallen from the cliff and had to be carried by Hanabi for half of the day while he slept on her back.  
The weight was inconsequential to the Jonin- she'd had to carry far heavier people in her career, including one memorable instance of the gigantic prince of the Land of Birds after he'd fallen from a horse and broken his leg on his own weight.

Still, they had a bit more than three weeks of their month left, and if her plan held true, it would only take another two days to their destination and five days back to the village, leaving them a full two weeks to train- in the middle of nowhere.

It took only a few hours to book passage leaving early the next day and find a hotel for them to crash in for the night. Hanabi had been here before, and the local hotel manager recognized her by her eyes at once.  
"Hyuuga-san, it's so good to see you again!" she'd cried after a moment of surprise.

Hanabi had grinned and walked up to hug the elderly woman. Despite the cheerful greeting, though, Toride noted that after a longer-than-usual hug, the older ninja's face was grim as they separated. But by the time she'd turned to face them again, all signs of worry were gone from Hanabi's eyes.

After Hanabi had informed the trio that she'd wake them at five to do a little more training before boarding the ship, she left the boys in one room and Kinyue in the room next door to slip down to the bar for a drink- and to keep an eye out.

There were two hotels in town, she knew, and this was by far the more reputable. That being said, it was still an international port, smaller than most, to be sure, but a port nonetheless. It was filled with travellers, people who could vanish into the distance and never be seen from again- and that made it, and them, dangerous.

As she nursed a single small bottle of sake, Hanabi kept an eye out for the man the old manager had warned her of- a Kumo known to have attempted kidnappings of Hyuuga before. _Bastards don't ever give up. Four times they've tried to take my eyes, and three on my sister- starting when she was five. Morons..._

It was late, and she'd almost missed the chance to spot him when he came in. The ninja was very tall, he would stand over Naruto's height by a good four inches or more- and built like a house. The economy of movement in him was evident, though, and Hanabi knew by that alone- if not the scars on his bare skin, the nicks and scrapes of his hitai-ate, and the ANBU-style mask slung on the side of his head that this one would be trouble if it came down to it.

The big man glanced around the room once, then began moving straight for Hanabi's table.

She tensed, almost unnoticably, but her fear spiked when she saw Toride in the doorway leading up to the stairs to their room. He paused mid-step when he saw the big man standing at his sensei's table and did his best to melt back into the shadows. The big man, though, gave no sign that he even noticed- or cared.

"Hyuuga Hanabi?"

The Jonin gulped. _He knows me by sight... must be in Kumo's bingo books already. Damn it._

She nodded, as calmly as she could. She didn't really think she'd lose- she _was_ one of the best, recently promoted or not- but she had no desire to cause any colateral damage in an inn run by an ally nation, and a personal friend. And as skilled as this man was, there was no way she'd escape a fight without some damage to the building.

"I have a message. May I sit?"

His voice was smooth and cultured, so much so that Hanabi was actually surprised. Intellectually, she knew that Kumogakure- and Kaminari no Kuni in general- were not a backwards country. In practice, though, she'd really only seen them on the other side of a conflict, and it surprised her a bit that they even knew how to carry on a conversation without threats and intimidation tactics.

"What is your message, Kumo-san?"

He smiled calmly and reached carefully- and slowly- into a pocket of his armored vest, giving Hanabi plenty of time to go for a weapon if she chose. _He's tempting me..._  
But all he pulled out was a piece of paper, not even a scroll. He looked down at it, and read slowly, "Hey, Naruto-baba! Don't make me feel like I got-ta! Come on up, send me a line, you and your friends' gotta spend some time!"  
The Kumo ninja scowled at the message and rolled his eyes, mumbling under his breath, "wish I'd read that piece of trash before now so I could have saved the headache. Sorry, Hyuuga-san," he said, his voice brightening a little as he looked up, holding the paper over the candle till it ignited, "Let me translate. The one who sent that message is actually my old sensei, and he's a friend of your Hokage. What he really wants is for him to come up and visit him in Kumo- or at least send some people to talk. There's been some changes at home, and Kirabi-sama wants to talk to Blondie about it."

One of Hanabi's eyebrows twitched.

"Kirabi?"

The big man nodded, smiling widely, "Yeah. He's my old sensei. He and your Hokage have a lot in common, if you catch my drift."

Hanabi nodded, her eyes narrowing. "I get your 'drift'. Now, how about you tell me why a random Kumo ninja, who knows me by name, just _happens_ to have a message for my Hokage, in a place even I didn't know we were going until after we had been gone from Konoha for a full day?"

"Didn't," the man responded casually, leaning back and signalling for a waitress. He slung his big arms across the back of the booth, and continued, "I'm actually on my way to Konoha to deliver that message, but I have to make a few stops first. Figured I'd see if you can get there before me, since I have to travel to west Tsuchi first."

Eyes still slits, Hanabi growled, "And the fact that I'm a Hyuuga has nothing to do with it?"

He smiled, "Nah. Kirabi and me don't think it's right to go stealin' blood limits. We think stuff like that's gotta be earned."

"And my name? What's your flimsy excuse for knowing that?"

Now, it was the strange ninja's turn to look unhappy. "What, you don't reconize me? It's Omoi!"

"... who?"

Nonplussed, the older giant rolled his eyes and pointed to himself with one hand, ruffling his white spiked hair with the other, "Omoi. My sister's Karui, cousin is Samui? Karui's got a thing going on with that chubby guy from Konoha? With the orange hair?"

Pieces clicked together, and Hanabi almost gasped in surprise. _This_ was perhaps one of only five Kumo ninja she didn't have to worry about. For one, while the younger Hyuuga and Akimichi Choji hadn't ever really been close friends, she knew for a fact that the rotund ninja could be trusted implicitly. And the fact that Naruto had given him permission to marry the Kumo girl if he so chose spoke volumes. True, this shinobi was a few steps away from Choji, but now that she knew who he was, Hanabi could remember instances of the Kumo Jonin team trained by the Eight-Tails Jinchuurichi working for days on end to help recover from the devastation brought by the last war with Iwa and the attack of Uchiha Sasuke two and a half years before.

"I think I remember you now," she said, allowing herself a small smile, "weren't you the worry-wort who thought your sister broke Choji's mind with her flat-chest and good looks? Or something like that?"

The guffaws from the big man brought all eyes in the room to their table, but his easy manner caused them to relax shortly after. The two ninja shared stories and drinks long past the time Hanabi had been intending to go to bed for the night, but she didn't mind. In fact, she was starting to enjoy the older shinobi's company quite a bit.

_After all, he is pretty handsome... even if he is a bit older than I like. I'm sure he's got it where it counts. Maybe... yeah, I'm sure the kids are asleep. We'll just have to use his room._

"So, you staying in this hotel, then?" she asked, casually, doing her best not to betray the sudden lust- mild though it was- in her eyes as she looked across the table.

He seemed somewhat surprised at the question and it's implied offer, but only thought about it for a moment. She was pretty cute, he'd decided that early on. "Sure, I guess. Third floor, room six. You want to go check on your Genin before meeting me there?"

Hanabi thought a moment as she slammed back the last of her sake, "Nah. They're down by now for sure. We gotta pass 'em to get to you anyway, we're the first rooms on that floor."

In her slightly- well, more than slightly- inebriated state, she was able to restrain from groping the older man in the common room- it was still half-full, even given the late hour- but as soon as she'd entered the darkened staircase, she pushed the much larger man up against the wall and stood up on her tiptoes to give him a rough kiss.

Unfortunately for her, she'd underestimated his height by a long shot. Fortunately for him, though, the woman's soft lips just reached past the edge of his armor, and she ended up kissing him lightly just below his clavicle. Giggling a little, she snaked one arm as far around him as she could force it, and repeated the gesture with a bit more intent this time. _Kami, it's been over a year since... well, more than two, actually. _

In her drunken state, as she followed the slightly-protesting Omoi up the staircase, she didn't notice the boy watching her studiously, with some kind of pain flashing through his eyes.

When she passed room three-oh-one, though, a sudden noise brought her to a halt at once, all thoughts of a night's pleasure with the older man burned away with any alchohol in her system. There was a boy, talking softly in a low voice, and a girl, giggling in a higher one, but still obviously trying to be stealthy. And they were in the same room at two or later in the morning. _Oh Kami, no... they'd better not be doing what I think they're doing!_ "I'm sorry, Omoi-san," she whispered angrily, "I'm afraid something has come up with my unruly students. I am flattered at your willingness, but it seems now's not the time."

The older ninja glanced at the door with a knowing look, and gave a wistful smile, "No, Hyuuga-hime, it is I that am flattered. That a beautiful flower such as yourself would even offer to grace me with her presence for drinks is enough. For a night... it was more than I could have hoped for."

She barely registered the sudden change in his speech from casual to solemn as he turned with a bow and walked down the hall.

It took less than a second for her to slip in the spare key and unlock the door without a sound, but she waited until the other ninja had entered his own room before whipping the door open, her eyes practically on fire with her rage.

_Kami I'm so not ready for this!_

The situation was far, far too clear for Hanabi's liking. It only took a glance, even with traces of alchohol in her system, for the Hyuuga's Byakugan to tell her that Toride was nowhere in the room. Kenkei was on top, his shirt off, Kinyue half beneath him, her own shirt unbuttoned completely and pushed aside, her white bra pushed up to bare not-quite-barely-there breasts. Unfortunately for Hanabi again, the Byuakugan was adept at picking out details like the fact that the younger girl's nipples were both very erect, and the thin trail of saliva hanging between the girl's left one and a very, very shocked Kenkei's mouth. Equally, she could not ignore the tightness in the boy's pants- he was very into this, up until Hanabi had entered the room. She could see him wilting rapidly, though. _No more for you tonight, lover boy._

It was hard for her, at that moment, to decide which of the three was more embarrassed. Both of the pre-teens looked mortified that they'd been caught in such an act, of course, but Hanabi had in no way thought this would happen so soon, and with them at such a young age. _Damn it, Naruto! I _told_ you I wasn't ready for this!_

Not that she had any choice. It was do or die, now.

"Dresss. _**Now**_."

For a fraction of a second, she debated turning away to spare them some shame, but thought against it at once. _Better they take in every bit of shame they can. Acting like rutting animals- at their age! _Fuck_ I'm not ready for this!_

Kenkei seemed to be having a problem finding his shirt, and Kinyue couldn't seem to line up her buttons. The fact that more guests of the hotel seemed to be making their way down the hall as time wore on didn't seem to bother Hanabi, who stood inside the door with it still wide open.

Kinyue, however, traced each one that walked by, her eyes widening whenever someone noticed what was going on and paused for a second look- or more.

The red in her face was only further justification to Hanabi that the girl was _far_ too young for this.

When Kenkei was wearing his shirt again, Hanabi growled, "Where's Toride?"

The younger boy mumbled something, so she repeated the question at a full yell, too enraged to care who she woke up.

"In your room, I think, Sensei!"

"You _think_?"

The boy, terrified, nodded.

"You don't get to call me Sensei any more. You have officially failed as a Genin. For the remainder of our training trip, you will not be alone with Kinyue. Either myself or Toride- preferrably both- will be with you at all times. You are not so much to go behind a tree and piss without one of us watching you. _Is that clear_?"

The venom in her voice squelched any chance of rebellion. He only had room for one emotion just then- terror. After that, she knew, hopelessness and despair would sink in- reinforced by what she would say next. "You get to watch Toride advance further and further under my personal guidance while you languish, with no training and no practice. When we return to Konoha, I will press charges on behalf of your parents- both of you. In addition, I will request that you are removed from Konoha's service as ninja- permanently."

He nodded, unable to do anything else at the moment.

Then, Hanabi turned her withering gaze on the girl who was already cowering, now attempting to hide her near-nakeness with the hotel's blanket.

"And as for you, young lady- I am very, _very_ ashamed of you. You and I will be talking at great length about this as soon as I've composed myself. Until then, you are also to consider yourself no longer a Genin. I am disgusted by your actions, both of you. Kinyue- our room. You are not to be anywhere without me or Toride, same as Kenkei. The only difference is I won't make you shower or relieve yourself with him around. But before you think this is unfair, or you're getting off easy, let me make this perfectly clear- _I know it was _both_ of you doing this. _There was no forcing, and it was a mutual thing. Therefore, your punishments will be equally severe. Now get in that room at once."

The Jonin spared the boy a few more seconds of her rage, then followed the other girl out the door and the few steps to their room- where she'd hoped the girl would have been sleeping hours before.

When she reached the doorway, though, she was again surprised to find Kinyue standing in the doorway, her face and neck flushed bright red, and Toride sitting on the nearest bed, looking steadfastly away from her, his own face bright with embarrassment as well.

Hanabi sighed, her breath still shaking with wrath, and said quietly, "Out, Toride. Young lady, you get into bed right now. If I hear a peep- just one peep- out of you tonight we're turning around and going home right now."

She could tell, even facing away as she was, that the girl had drawn in a breath to reply in some way, but she thought better of it and scurried to the far bed, climbing under the covers without undressing or looking either of the others in the eye.

His face still red, Toride stood slowly and walked to the door, his eyes on the floor. When he was outside the room, Hanabi pulled the door shut and beckoned him to follow her down the stairs and back into the common room.

She took the same seat she'd had before, her glasses still on the table, and gestured for Toride to take the other side. She activated her Byakugan, keeping her eyes trained on the spot above where her two other students lay in their beds, both visibly shaking even from three floors below.

Still watching them, Hanabi took a deep, calming breath, and asked, "Is that why you came down, earlier? To tell me what they were up to?"

He took a moment to answer, his voice lower than she was used to, "Y- N- well... kind of. I really came to see if I could get your room key, after they kicked me out. I'd rather share a room with you than those two anyway. They make me sick. Shinobi are supposed to be about the mission, not getting in each other's... well..."

Hanabi nodded, still watching the two upstairs, "That's right, they are. Next time, it doesn't matter if I'm in the middle of something. If you need me, you talk to me- no matter what. Okay?"

He nodded, watching the table studiously. After a time, he reached casually over to one of Omoi's shot glasses and started spinning it in his fingers, watching the table through the amber liquid he'd been drinking.

"Are you really going to take away their Genin status?" he asked, a long time later.

Hanabi sighed again, and said, "I knew they wouldn't stay put. They're talking to each other through the wall now. At least they're staying in the right rooms, this time."

He seemed to take her change of subject as 'yes', because he slumped even further in his chair, visibly dejected.

"What's up?" Hanabi asked, genuinely curious as to why he seemed so sad that people he didn't like were going to basically be out of his life from now on.

"I donno... they were kinda just the first two to every really talk to me except for you and my parents. I guess I'm just thinking maybe after they're gone no one will talk to me any more."

Whatever Hanabi had been expecting, it wasn't that. "What do you mean? You didn't have any friends in the Academy? What about before?"

He shook his head, "No... my family's from Iwa. We moved before the war, I barely even remember what our old house looked like, but it doesn't matter to them. I'm a traitor just 'cause of that. Lower than dirt. 'Iwa ninja killed my brother! _You_ killed him, scum', stuff like that. You know how it is."

_No I don't._

That was the thought that stuck in her head. She had no idea what that would be like. But she did know someone who did. _Maybe I should introduce him to Naruto. Or maybe the Kazekage._ "Listen, Toride-kun," and she didn't notice, apparently, the affectionate suffix, "people like that are blind- but it passes, in time. You just have to keep your chin up, and move forward. Sooner or later, people will see you for who you are, and it'll stop."

He sighed, glancing up to see that his sensei's eyes were still trained well above his head, before saying softly, "Yeah, but when?"

She shrugged a bit, "Don't know. Can't say. But I know someone who started at the bottom, and was hated by everyone... and he's now the Hokage, and everyone looks up to him. Even those who hate him respect him. So maybe you can do the same, huh?"

Naruto being Naruto, he'd never hidden what his past had been like- at least, to those who cared enough to ask. After a while, long before he'd become Hokage, even, it seemed the whole village had known exactly what his childhood had been like. It was no surprise, then, that this boy- even if he had originally been from Iwa- would know about the story.

"My parents weren't even ninja," he said again after a while, visibly debating whether to take a sip of whatever alchohol was left in the glass, "but it doesn't matter to them. They were killers, so was I, blah blah."

Hanabi couldn't help but grin a bit, looking down at last, "You seem to be pretty well adjusted, regardless. Like I said, just give it time. They're already trusting you more."

"How do you figure that?" he asked, with a snort.

"Well, they didn't assume you'd rat them out when they kicked you out."

That seemed to cheer him a bit.

"Come on, Tori-kun. Let's get to bed. We can rest more on the boat, but I'm getting tired. Too much excitement already today."

He nodded and stood up, but didn't move away from the table until she was a few paces away and turned to look at him.

He finally pulled his eyes up to meet hers, and she had to read his lips to hear what he'd whispered, "How come it's all right for you and that Kumo nin, but not those two?"

On the surface, the answer seemed obvious. But underneath... and then underneath again...

_Shit. They're adults in the eyes of the Village. They were obviously consentual... damn it. Well, hell. I'm not apologizing- they're still too young. But I guess I can't take away their status yet. We're gonna have to have a long talk about compromising the mission though. There's a time and a place."_

**A/N:** Always, always, remember to review please. :) I can't say I'll stop writing without 'em- that's tacky and dumb. But it does help to keep me going, especially at a good rate. :)

**_A note, continued_**: Now that I'm not at risk for spoiling my own chapter, let me continue this: To reiterate, I am not, in any way, shape, or form, condoning underaged sex. However, in real life, it is a reality. A sad one, but reality nonetheless. As such, there will be at least one occurance of it in this story. I still don't, and never will, condone it. Period. It's the best way I've ever seen or heard of to screw up your life completely and forever- and I highly recommend you don't risk it if it applies to you.

That being said, I probably won't write a lemon between Kenkei and Kinyue. While they're integral to the story, their 'romance' as such, is not. It's more just to paint a picture of stupid hormonal teenagers/preteens. There will be more of the same, and probably equally graphic, but not more so. (Barring a severe change in the focus of my story- but I doubt I'm killing Hanabi off any time soon)


	5. Chapter 5: Survival Training II

**A/N:** And... here's chapter 5. A word of warning: There's an almost-limey bit of 'goodness' in here, but, again, it's skirting the issue a lot- it's mostly just an embarassing scene for a couple of people, not like the one in chapter 4- there is no 'intent' involved.

Anyway, enjoy!

**Chap. 5 Survival Training II, An inhospitible land.**

For Hanabi, the boat ride was hell. She hated being at sea to begin with, and the storms they'd been slogging through for the first three days of what _should_ have been a three-day journey made it much worse. What pushed it over the edge, though, were the glares constantly being sent her way by Kenkei and Kinyue. They were an odd combination of hate, embarrassment, anger, and shame... only one of which the older woman felt she deserved. _If Father or Sensei had walked in on me with Kono back then... but we never really got quite that far, either. Still..._

"All right, you brats," she said firmly, "ship's pulling into port. Get your gear together, we're gonna be off this crate in ten minutes."

They jumped into action at once.

_That's getting better, too... I just wish I had the heart to tell them that I was wrong. Jonin shouldn't be such chicken-shits. But they'll figure it out when I start their training... maybe. Of course, that might just make it seem like I'm weak and changing my mind 'cause of their whining, but... I guess... yeah, I suppose I'll have to explain it to them tonight. Damn it all._

* * *

Hanabi studiously avoided any signs that showed the name of their location, even going so far as to steer her Genin away from a group talking about it she'd heard ahead. So, it was something of a shock to them when she led them out of the port authority- which contained covered docks to shield the ships from the worst of the storms- out into blinding white.

"Whoah!" Kenkei said, and Hanabi turned her eyes to see all three of them looking with mouths agape.

"Never seen this much snow before?" she asked, amused.

All three shook their heads. "Never!" Kinyue replied, breathlessly.

"Well... get used to it. We're behind schedule 'cause of the storm, but we've still got four days to be in it. Come on, the edge of town's this way," she beckoned, setting out through the three inches of snow on the recently-plowed road.

Within an hour, all three of the Genin were shivering uncontrollably, but Hanabi still looked just fine when she turned with a wicked grin to face them again. "Good, you kept up. How's your chakra?" She activated her Byakugan as she asked, giving them each a glance, "Not too bad... first, survival tip one. When you are out in the elements, a slow burn of chakra being sent to your skin- everywhere- can keep you very warm. All you have to do is insulate the outer layer with it, it takes almost nothing- but very good chakra control. And there's your lesson for the day. When you can get by without shivering, you can rest and eat. If you die before then... well, frostbite's a bitch, but you probably won't die. Maybe lose an arm or leg."

Then she dropped her pack, bent down, and started setting up her tent without another word.

_Didn't even notice my Byakugan is still active... dumb kids. They didn't even hesitate before trying it, even though I told them no training. Were they just that cold? Naah... they wanted to learn more. Ah well, can't blame 'em. Toride's doing really well, too. So much for his bad chakra control._

It took thirty minutes for Hanabi to dig out a snow cave just big enough for the four of them into the side of the just-visible hill. The children, still shivering violently, were a bit more colorful than they had been before, though in Kenkei's case, it was more blue than the pink she was looking for.

"All right, all inside. Don't get too comfortable- this is lesson time. Stay packed in tight, but be ready to adjust."

They clambered in, Toride just about bringing the whole cave down when he headbutted it by accident climbing over Kinyue- in an effort to avoid touching her inappropriately, her Byakugan revealed- but other than that, there were no incidents until she was inside as well.

Predictably, Kinyue and Kenkei were as close as possible to each other, leaving Hanabi barely enough room to get inside and turn her hand to the entry before piling up snow to cover most of the hole.

"Okay, here's how you build a snow cave. You dig it out, first- it's best if you choose something to build it against, like a steep hill, or a tree. Not many trees around here, though. The bigger trees are better, like Konoha has. A tree will also generate a small amount of warmth, even in winter, so that's a side benefit.  
"After you've got it hollowed out, pack down the floor a bit- most of that work's gonna be done by you as you hollow it out, but you want it to be smooth, so that it builds into a thin layer of ice. That helps insulate. The exit, you want to mostly close. Leave just enough for an air hole. Ideally, you want the entire space to be as small as possible, so your body has to heat less area. The snow is a great insulator after that, so you're pretty well set. It won't keep you from freezing, but if you have a few blankets, it can keep you alive."

"H-h-how dd-didy- did y-you l-l-l-learn-th-this, Hanabi-Sensei?" Toride asked, his chattering reminding the woman a great deal of her older sister's old habit of stuttering.

Hanabi shrugged. "Just picked it up. I spent some time in this country, too, a while back. We got caught in a storm and my Sensei was injured, so he taught us how to do stuff like this. Donno where he learned it. Here, move over," she motioned to Toride, "I'll take the middle since I have the most body heat right now. It'll help you guys get warm."

Where they had first hesitated, that last part got them up and moving at once.

Once she'd settled herself, her arms open to either side, the boys both faltered, looking away.

"Come on," Hanabi said slowly, rolling her eyes, "warmth, remember? I'm not going to bite, and I'm not going to do anything indecent. Speaking of... you two had _better_ keep your hands to yourselves."

Kinyue and Kenkei gulped, but nodded. After the two had grudgingly settled themselves against her, both red in the face, Hanabi's pale eyes turned to Kinyue. "Well?"

In the end, the younger girl ended up on her back, with her laying with Hanabi's open palm between her shoulderblades.

At once, the three Genin felt a strange, subtle warmth- almost like a cat or dog's- spreading from everywhere they were touching or next to their Sensei.  
"Tip two," she said with a small smirk when Toride gasped in surprise, "generating heat. It's not a stretch from the first tip, you just alter your chakra to make it warmer. You can do that with Fire-style jutsu, and I'm good at that, but it's often easier and more efficient just to warm it with regular chakra control- compression and strengthening does the trick."

"B-but, s-s-Sensei," the other girl asked, still shivering against Hanabi's hand, "h-how d-d-d-does th-that heat the ch-ch-chakra?"

For the first time since they'd become a team, Hanabi was unable to answer one of their questions right off the bat. However, it only took a few seconds for her to compose a reply regardless. "I'm not sure if this is the _right_ answer, but I think it's close, at least. Even though chakra, as we know, is just energy, it behaves like matter more often than not. If you squeeze snow together, you melt it into ice- right? The compression creates heat, then it freezes once the pressure is gone. Chakra is the same."

"S-so we c-c-an't l-let the chakra g-g-go?"

Hanabi shrugged again, causing both boys to shift against her, "You could... I can keep the place warm enough, and I'm not tired enough to sleep much tonight. But keep it up as long as you can. It's training, after all."

She felt the two on her right stiffen. _Finally caught on, huh?_

"All right... that's enough for today. Practice what you've learned. Generate heat if you can, but keep yourselves insulated at least. When you pass out from chakra exhaustion, training's over."

* * *

The Jonin hadn't been lying about the ease of the activity in terms of chakra use, nor the difficulty of the control needed. It took over three hours before the first one- Kinyue- dropped into slumber. Glancing out the air hole, there was only darkness. Without a word or sign, Hanabi activated her dojutsu to scan the area for any threats, before relaxing again.

Feeling the chakra spike in their sensei, largely due to their proximity, a drowsy Kenkei asked, "Something wrong?"

She whispered, "No... just checking the area. You're about done, may as well go to sleep. You too, Toride."

He nodded, and she felt the chakra usage of both of them dwindle to near-zero. _Hot damn, these kids _are_ pretty good... their first few hours at the excercise, and already keeping it mostly active during sleep..._

* * *

Hanabi was now extremely uncomfortable. Her right arm, buried under two Genin, was very asleep, and had been since before they had fallen asleep themselves. Her left was, perhaps, more so- though she was in a more comfortable position. _I did _not_ just think that. No, Hanabi. Bad!_

Toride was snuggled up against her much as the other two were now against each other, his face pushed right up into her breast. He was softly mumbling something every once in a while. While at first, she'd been amused by the fact that he was tickling her with his mouth, he'd bitten her a little while ago, and it was still the part he kept working. _Damn it... this is _not_ going to keep going on!_

She tried to shift upwards, but the weight on her right was too great to move without waking the others up, and on the left, her other Genin had both arms wrapped around her upper arm, ensuring she'd take him with her if she moved too much.

_But if I wake him up without moving him... he'll never live it down._

_Hell... hell! What am I gonna _do_?_

Before she could think of a plan, though Toride twitched. _He better not bite me again..._

He did.

In the same place, of course.

This time, the Jonin couldn't hold back the gasp of pain, and Toride's eyes opened at once.

"Sensei?"

His looked worried, but he was back to a normal color- as far as she could tell under the almost black-and-white view of her Byakugan, anway. "Fine," she growled softly, "you just _bit_ me, but I'm fine."

"Bit you?" he asked, confused. "I didn't- did I?"

Her eyes looked down to where his mouth was, and he followed her gaze. It took a moment, in the darkness, for him to notice the white spot showing through the dark shirt she normally wore under her vest. "I... I... sorry, sensei... I think I ripped your shirt."

"It's fine," she continued to growl, obviously displeased, "just turn around before you go back to sleep- and don't bite my arm, either."

He continued to look, from his half-raised position, at the bright spot for a moment, then whispered, "I need to pee."

The softly-glowing white eyes rolled, and she replied, "Just push the snow out. I'll keep it warm in the meantime. When you come back in, pile it back up like it is now and then go back to sleep."

She saw him nod then slowly start to pick his way over all three of them.

He was gone precisely fifteen seconds when she heard him gasp in shock.

_He either forgot to turn on the insulator technique, or he just realized _where_ he bit me._

When he came back a few minutes later, he was visibly embarrassed, and avoided looking at his sensei's face until he lay down, this time facing away from her as she'd asked.

_Should I? Nah... I shouldn't. But I will anyway- I don't think I can resist._ With an inner laugh at the boy's expense, she whispered so low that only he would be able to hear, "Better be careful- not insulating _that part_ can make it fall right off in these kind of tempuratures."

He stiffened at once, then hissed back, "I did! It was... something else."

Hanabi grinned before laying her head back down and closing her eyes.

* * *

It was the blood rushing, she could admit to herself that it was very painful, back to her right arm that woke Hanabi the next morning. There was a spot of bright sunlight through the air-hole, but the cave itself seemed to glow with a soft light, lighter toward the surface. "Wake up!" she yelled, and all three of the Genin were up at once, eyes blinking in the light.

"Lesson three for winter survival- breakfast. No ration bars today, or at all for this trip unless necessary."

All three of the kids groaned before gathering the belongings they'd let scatter in their sleep.

"Here," she began to explain when they were all outside, "is basically out in the middle of nowhere. We're only a few hours at most outside of the town we docked in yesterday, but for all intents and purposes, we're totally cut off- only a ninja could make it back in bad weather, and even then they might well miss- no visibility in snow. So we're going to be self-sufficient. These animals are common to this region. Foxes, rabbits, lynx, some..."

Hanabi continued the lecture for another forty minutes, explaining how to track and capture- preferrably without too much damage to the hunter or hunted- and then properly prepare the creatures so they would at least be edible, if not tasty, before pointing out into the hills, and saying, "Go!"

* * *

The next three days passed quickly, with the only notable circumstances being that Toride refused to look his Sensei in the eyes for two of them, and barely the third, and that Hanabi had only had to scold Kinyue and Kenkei for being too eager to 'share body heat' once. And even that hadn't been going too far, his hand had simply drifted a bit low on her back one evening as they were settling in.

She was in the process of explaining to the two lovebirds exactly _how_ she'd been wrong- with much skirting of the truth and embarrassment on her own part- for giving out such a harsh punishment herself, but refused to retract the entire thing- she'd still be telling there parents, and forbidding any further activity until she had- in writing- each of the adult's permission for a physical relationship between the two to continue and/or advance. And on that, she was more than firm- she was adamant.

The young couple had been overjoyed of course, cheering in the streets of the port town as they walked toward the huge building housing the port itself. It was hard to contain her own smile at their happiness, and even the warning that she'd still be telling their parents did little to quell their mood- after a few minutes of moping and terror, at least.

However, her own good mood vanished within minutes of entering the harbor.

"What do you _mean_ we can't get passage to anywhere in Hi?" she practically screamed, leaning in so that her face was only an inch from the older man's she was talking to.

"I- I, uh- there's a- ban on ships leaving-" he was able to stammer, before she interrupted again.

"Says who? On who's auth-"

"Says me," a female voice said from a distance behind Hanabi. Distantly, the Jonin heard soft footfalls approaching from behind, and two more flanking and behind the woman, much heavier. Slowly, Hanabi stood straight up again, fixing the old man with a glare so that he continued to quake in his shoes until the woman was right behind her, before turning.

"F- Fuun-hime?"

It was Toride that spoke, his eyes practically as wide as saucers.

Hanabi bowed at once- she'd met this woman a few years back while on vacation with their now-Hokage and his wives before they were married.

"Bow, brats!" she hissed, and, confused, all three did. Koyuki laughed lightly, and said, "Rise, Hyuuga-san, all of you."

Taking in Toride's star-struck expression as she did, Hanabi lifted her eyes to the daimyo and grinned herself. When the older woman opened her arms, Hanabi rushed into them at once with a laugh, "Kyouki-sama! It's so good to see you again!"

The two bodyguards stiffened at first, but the elder had recognized the Jonin as well, so no weapons were drawn.

"Come," the daimyo said after a moment, tears in her eyes though she was smiling, "introduce me to your Genin, Hanabi-chan!"

The Jonin, blushing slightly, did so, earning her a most grateful smile from Toride when Koyuki took his hand in hers and gave him a small bow and a smile. "It seems you have another fan, 'Fuun-hime'," Hanabi chuckled.

"Indeed," was the reply, the ruler still giggling softly as she let the boy's hand go, "I'm sorry about all of this, Hanabi-chan, but there's a big storm coming- we can't let any ships leave, it's just too dangerous. Unfortunately, it's also getting into the stormy season- that's why all the snow- so we had to turn the generators off. There won't be any calm weather, most likely, for three months or more."

"But- how are we supposed to get _home_," Kenkei asked, surprised and a bit worried.

"I'm sorry," the daimyo said to all four of them, "I can arrange to get a message to Naruto-kun explaining why you can't make it, if you wish."

"No," Hanabi said at once, "I can take care of that- it might cause an incident if you did so, Koyuki-sama."

The brunette smiled coyly, "I wouldn't kidnap Leaf shinobi- surely your Hokage knows me better than that? Come," she said amid laughter from the shinobi, "I was just about done here. Come up to Yukigakure, I'm sure we can find a place for you to keep for the next weeks or months until we can get a safe boat out."

* * *

Toride nearly spasmed into seizures when the actress-turned-daimyo sat directly next to him in the carriage, causing giggles from all concerned, and a deep blush from him.

"Sensei," Kinyue asked after a few miles, "how are you going to get a message to Hokage-sama?"

Hanabi smiled and, using a chakra pulse to her fingertip, placed it against the empty seat next to her- the only one in the carriage. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"  
There was a puff of smoke, and where there had been nothing before, a three-foot-tall albatross now perched on the edge of the seat, it's claws digging deeply into the cushion to maintain it's balance.

She rolled the note she'd written earlier while waiting for Koyuki to finish her business up, and slipped it into a case tied to the giant bird's leg before saying, "Go directly to the Hokage- or my sister or father, I suppose, if he's busy. Give them that message, and tell them I said I was sorry we didn't make it back- we will return as soon as we can."

To the surprise of the Genin, and the awe of the daimyo, the albatross nodded once and moved toward the window, which it unlatched with it's beak before hopping to the sill and taking flight.

Smiling, Hanabi closed the window and apologized for the cushion.

Koyuki, of course, only smiled and nodded.

**A/N2:** For what it's worth, I'm writing both this and my other two active stories simultaneously- this is just the one getting the most attention at the moment, because it's the one I'm inspired to write. But, as always, my stories don't get abandoned, no matter how long they take to finish.

Also, it bears mentioning that currently I am a full chapter ahead on this one, but I'm likely to only update once or maybe twice a week on it, so that I have no excuse to not work on the other stories if I get my muse for those ones into gear again.

I'd also like to beg a favor from anyone reading and/or reviewing (and please review if you read, even if it's just a few words of thanks or 'it's crap' or whatever).  
I'm running out of anime to watch and manga to read- so I'd like suggestions. Please visit my profile and PM me with any you can think of that I'd like, I'm going to be updating that before I post this, with what I've already seen/read and enjoyed more than average. Thanks in advance. :)


	6. Chapter 6: Winter's End

**A/N:** First, sorry about the wait- been busy with a combination of real life and too many writing projects (and another recently picked up hobby of painting- oil on canvas) has conspired to make this chapter a very long-delayed one.

While I haven't seen any particular problems in my read-through, this chapter WAS written in fits and spurts over the course of... what, four months? As a result, it's possibly riddled with continuity problems and lack of flow. If that's the case- I'm sorry. I'll likely get around to fixing it when I finish this arc of the Late Blossoms trilogy. (And yes, a 3rd part is planned- though not begun for a long time yet)

For now, though, just ignore this (short- just 3.5 pages) chapter of Late Blossoms II!

**Chap. 6 Winter's End**

The reply had come, by toad, seven days later- a feat in itself, given the sudden blizzard that had blown up around them about two hours after they'd reached Koyuki's palace. Naruto had expressed some displeasure at not keeping to their schedule, but understood, and promised that they'd make do with the drop in forces. He also expressed his faith that Hanabi and her Genin would strengthen the alliance between Spring/Snow and Konoha, rather than weaken it, over the coming months.

And so they did.

Much to Hanabi's amusement, it was more than a month before Toride could get past his fanboy-heroine-worship of "Fuun-hime" to actually talk to the real 'princess', Koyuki. _Even though she hasn't been a princess in years..._

Two months passed with the four Leaf ninja doing everything in their power to build upon the already good relations between Konoha and Yuki, and by extension, Hi no Kuni and Yuki no Kuni. What that involved, much to the delight of her students, was mostly spending each day wandering the palace, occasionally accompanied by the princess herself. Fine food, much of it native, but some shipped from as far away as Suna. The daimyo of Yuki insisted on taking each meal with the four ninja, unless Hanabi had taken them out for 'training'.

That training, though it occured only six times during the two months, was round after round of three days each spent out in the arctic wasteland. So harsh, so brutal, were Hanabi's training methods, that her Genin had literally no choice- it was learn or die. _Not that I'd let them die... but they don't know that._

The results, though, could not be denied. Only four sessions in, the three of them had mastered the ability to shield and warm themselves with their chakra so that Hanabi no longer had to provide warmth for them when they camped- even the night she would not let them make a snow cave, and forced them to camp out in the open during a light snowfall.

_Heh, coldest bath I've ever had was that morning, after the snow started to melt around us..._

Of course, the culmination of that training had come on the fifth trip. "Hostile entities" only rarely attacked during winter, as Hanabi had explained to ther students. Fighting, even in the ways ninja used, was difficult in snow and ice, so most forces preferred to wait, rebuild their strength, and not engage in open combat during the winter. However, as she was quick to point out, there were always exceptions. Some ninja, like those in Yukigakure, were not only used to, but adept at fighting in winter conditions- and that's why, when she made this particular trip, she asked to be accompanied by Yuki's sole genin team and their Jonin Sensei.

The snow ninja had been impressed with the survival skills of the Leaf ninja, until Hanabi had revealed her sensei's name- he had been instrumental, at one point, in doing a huge favor for Yuki before the attempted coup, so it was no surprise how he'd learned their skills. The Leaf's Genin, though, were not only impressed by the ease with which their counterparts moved and lived in the winter conditions, but how well they fought in it, as well.

They had only had one sparring match- team against team- during that trip, and Hanabi's team's stunning loss had the three Genin grumbling for hours as they nursed their minor wounds, and Hanabi grinned, having thoroughly enjoyed her own beating at the hands of Sakazai Goro.

It was that night, though, that they got their first taste of _real_ combat in the snow.

Not against ninja, no...

But against a starved bear that had, apparently, been taken by surprise by the sudden snows months before and had not laid up sufficient food to hibernate all winter.

Crazed by hunger, the freshly-awoken bear had hesitated only a moment before charging into the eight ninja's camp just as they were finishing dinner. Even Hanabi had been surprised. She knew the huge animal was there, of course, but had no idea that it was hungry enough to attack humans. Her own experience with ursines had led her to believe that while they might bellow and intimidate, an actual attack was rare- they shunned humans and fires alike, so they should have been doubly safe.

In a fit of juvenile rage, one of the Yuki Genin had even shouted as much to the bear- not that it listened.

Still, their training allowed the two squads to escape from the beast with only a few minor injuries. The same Genin who'd taken the time to scream at the bear had recieved a swipe from a claw across one bicep- he'd need surgery, but would be fine in the end, Hanabi had reassured her team- and Kinyue had sprained an ankle on landing after a bad leap.

But, as she looked over the children in her care, the young Hyuuga was hard pressed to find any fault. _They're stronger than I was at that age... maybe not in a fight, but in character, at least. Sensei still says I'm a stuck-up bitch, but these guys... they're shaping up nicely. I think Naruto-sama would be proud._ "All right, brats," she said, walking into the cafeteria for Yuki's ninja garrison at the palace, "I've gotten word- the Hokage himself is coming here to get us. Things have gotten a bit bad in Konoha, and they need our help- our team specifically. Get packed, we're leaving early tomorrow."

"But Sensei," Kinyue asked, puzzled, "how is Hokage-sama going to get here tomorrow through this storm?"

Hanabi shrugged. "Not sure about that myself. But he said he'd be here, and you know Hokage-sama never lies. I'm sure he's got a boat that can move through the storm or something."

"Okay!" The three young teens grabbed a few more bites each before standing and rushing past Hanabi out into the hall toward their quarters. As she watched them go, she was struck again by how disciplined they were. _Not that I was unfamiliar with that... discipline was the one thing I had! But still... the three of them act like they've been a team for years, not just a month and a half._

The four Konoha ninja had just sat to eat what would probably be their last meal in Yukigakure- accompanied again by Koyuki Kazehana herself. The young daimyo had even seen fit to give each of the Genin an autographed poster, each one of four, promoting her newest movie: _Fuun-hime V; Winds of Liberty_.

They hadn't even really begun eating, though, when Naruto's messenger arrived.

There was a quiet 'poof' and a breath of icey air, accompanying a white and blue toad. Said toad was placed, probably less than ideally, on top of the steaming tamagoyaki. It gave a croak, then vanished again, taking the omelet with it.  
In it's place, though, it left a single rolled note around a strange, white kunai.

_Only Hokage-sama... my breakfast is ruined..._

But Hanabi was too disciplined to bemoan her lost meal for long. Before her Genin or the daimyo had really registered what had happened, she was unrolling the note from around the kunai.

_Hanabi-chan, keep this kunai with you. I need it to get to you- it'll probably be just a few minutes after you get it. Make sure your team's ready. Hinata and your dad said to tell you 'hi'. So 'hi'._

_-Naruto, Rokudaime Hokage, Heir of blah blah blah._

The Jonin's white eyes blinked once, twice, and then closed. _Sometimes I think Kinyue is more mature than my Hokage. Is that a bad thing? Or is it normal, when your Hokage is a man?_ "All right," she said, standing, "you've got about ten minutes to finish eating before the Hokage gets here. I'm sorry, Koyuki-sama, but we really need to be ready."

The older woman gave a gentle smile, "It's quite all right, Hanabi-chan, I'm used to ninja by now- and Naruto especially. If you don't mind, could I wait with you? I'd like to see my biggest fan."

Hanabi smiled. "I'm sure Hokage-sama would appreciate it, Koyuki-hime."

Seven minutes later, the five were waiting in one of the palace courtyards for the blonde Kage. Everything she'd ever heard of the Hiraishin had led her to believe Naruto would _not_ appreciate being forced to move through a window to get to his kunai. _But it'd serve him right for not planning ahead if he's really getting here that way. I mean, the chakra drain alone would kill a normal-_

But her thoughts were interrupted by a flash of golden light, followed by an immediate clap of thunder which shook the nearby windows. _Oh yeah... Naruto's not exactly 'normal'..._

When she'd finally been able to clear her eyes of the afterglow from the flash, she was unsurprised to see the daimyo of Spring/Snow crushing her leader in a hug worthy of Tsunade herself.

After a few minutes of polite greetings and whispered words with Koyuki, Naruto turned to Hanabi and her team. "All right, we don't have very long, so I'm going to give you the short version of your briefing right now. Mercenaries from Tea and Flowers have joined up with a few rogue ninja from Iwa. They're attacking River right now, and moving down it pretty quickly. The river's helping them out a lot, and we expect they'll be in Senjouchi Gai by this time tomorrow, maybe the day after if they meet heavy resistance. That means we have less than a day to cross a continent and a half."

Hanabi nodded. It was possible- if you cheated. She'd done it before, and Naruto had just proven it possible- she was sure he'd left Konoha less than an hour ago. "What's the polsit?"

The Genin looked at their sensei strangely, but it was a lingo that both of the other leaders knew all too well. "Not very good," Naruto began. As he continued, the Jonin noticed Koyuki's expression becoming more grave, yet more resolute as he continued. "Suna's got just as much interest in stopping them as we do, of course. We've got no clue where they'll head after they finish raiding River. Maybe they'll stay there- but that's just as bad. Bandits and thugs, rogue ninja in charge of a good-sized nation? Yeah... we've done that too much already. Konoha doesn't need that. So we're going to go in with a few teams and take them out. We- I mean, _you_, will be leading the mission alongside Kiba. He'll ultimately be in charge, since he's got the experience, but I want you leading the mission as much as you can."

She nodded again, frowning. "Understood. What's our total strength? Can we expect allies from Suna? What about River's resistance?"

Naruto frowned for real this time. "Again, I don't know. Suna will be sending people, but whether you'll have the time to meet up is totally up in the air. I want you there before even Gaara or Temari could get there- and they can both fly. If one of them shows up, though, you defer to them. We don't need the fiasco of Konoha ninjas fighting against the Kazekage- even if he _is _one of my best friends. River... it's totally up in the air. You might get some local militia, drummed up at the last minute. I doubt you'd get much in the way of a real fighting force- they're probably being wiped out as the enemy moves downriver. Last we heard they were going down both of the major flows, so they're hitting just about every town on the way by. As for total strength... your team, Kiba's team- they're fresh too, but I know Kiba can handle himself. My team's going to be there, they'll be your Chunin in officer positions. Split your teams among them if you need to split up- oh, and Sakura-chan's is going to be there too. I won't send her, though- we need her for something else. She, Sai, Lee, Choji and that Kamui chick, and Tenten are all going to Senjouchi to render assistance to the holdout forces there- they won't be able to help out much, though- they're going to operate covertly, helping with evacuating the government, and all that stuff. You're going to be fighting in the streets."

Kinyue gulped audibly. "F- fighting, Hokage-sama? Other- other ninja?"

Naruto's stern face dropped away at once, replaced by one that Hanabi had become very familiar with since she'd starting getting close to the blonde former Jinchuuriki herself. It was a strange combination of father, leader, older brother, and best friend. A face he showed to everyone in the village if they gave even the slightest reason to- a face that Hanabi knew was his _true_ face above all others. It was the face of their Hokage, not just their military leader. The one who'd sworn above all else to respect and love the village, to protect them from everything he could. "Kinyue-chan," he began softly, "A shinobi's life is not easy. A kunoichi's life is even harder. We have to kill, hurt, and destroy. You know all that... but do you know why?"

She shook her head, both Kenkei and Toride listening raptly as well. Even Koyuki was watching with wide eyes. It wasn't likely she'd seen this aspect of Naruto very often, if at all.

"It's to protect our friends and families. Our homes. We kill to prevent killers from attacking them. We hurt to keep them from hurting those we care about. We destroy their homes and property so they can't do it to us. And that sounds kind of bad, when you say it like that, but you have to remember... we don't just do it because, or to whoever we want. We only do it to those that we _have_ to. I've only killed... Kami, I've killed about six hundred people! But... I mean, Sakura- she's a really powerful kunoichi, right? She's only had to kill about... five. And every one of them was about to hurt either me, or our kids, or attack Konoha. So is she a bad person?"

Kinyue shook her head again.

"Nope, she's one of the best! So even if you kill, and fight, it doesn't make you bad- as long as you do it for the right reasons. Okay?"

This time, she nodded, mostly reassured.

"Okay! So, you three- just remember, I have faith in you. I assigned you to Hanabi because you have the most potential out of all your classmates, and your sensei's got more potential than she knows, too. I think you four can make each other stronger than... hell, stronger than me, if you work hard enough!"

Kenkei gave a tiny gasp of disbelief- _no one_ could be stronger than Naruto! It just wasn't possible!

The blonde turned to Hanabi again, "So- here's how it's going to go down. I've got a Jonin team in place on the north side of River, just inside the Hi no Kuni border. I'm going to pull out some scrolls, and summon my team here. They're going to act as the anchor for a reverse summon to get you guys _there_, then I'm going to anchor my team's, then I'll Hiraishin there after you- using that same kunai again. After _that_, Sakura's team will summon the seven of you to near the enemy's forces- on their rear, if we time it right. Then I've gotta get back to Konoha, and the Jonin team is off to a different mission in Ame. Or..."

Naruto's eyes half-closed, and he mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "or was it the Jonin summoning me, to summon..." then his voice rose to a normal volume again as he shrugged, "Well, whatever. It'll work out. You guys ready to go? Sorry to be so quick, Koyuki-hime, just really busy, you know- running a village is a lot of work!"

The older woman nodded, a faint smile on her face, before pulling him in for another hug, then repeating the action with Hanabi and her team. Toride couldn't stop his blush from hitting his ears, not when the daimyo kissed him just as she'd kissed Naruto's cheek so many years before.

"Well, let's do it!" the Hokage cried, before flipping open the scroll he'd just fished out, and streaking a bloody thumb across it.

Three clouds of smoke appeared, each clearing quickly to reveal Yamanaka Inoko, Aburame Tenchi, and Hatake Kamisori- three of the six most powerful Chunin in Konoha.

**A/N2:** First things first- while it's semi-official that Hidan is from the Land of Hot Water (the three slanted lines), and Kakuzu is from Taki, the anime shows some confusion in Hidan's hitai-ate when he first appears (when capturing Nii Yugito). I forget the exact numbers of the episodes, but when they're in the sewers, and during ep 86-87 when Shikamaru is fighting Hidan, the hitai-ate he is wearing is that of River. My explanation- both officially 'my canon for all fics' is that said village is inside River country, so he is perfectly allowed to wear both, and that River has few ninja anyway, and no official village, so any ninja from there can wear it- he changes them as he needs or they need washing. Whatever. Especially considering that Hidan wiped out the Village of Hot Water (single-handedly), so no one recognizes it any more, anyway.

Secondly: Let me know (or review for other reasons!) if you see any glaring errors. I usually fix big problems quickly.  
Third: Please don't expect too much in the way of rapid updates to this story. I like where I'm going with it, but as far as fanfics go- One Hour is my main dish. This one's just an appetizer. (And my current 'other' project- a post-battle Harry Potter fic which won't be posted till it's complete- is the 'dessert') But please review!


	7. Chapter 7: First Contact

**A/N:** Hey all, glad to see you again. :)

Welcome back to Late Blossoms II: Blooming Firecracker. :)

I know it's been a fair bit since the last post (but it was longer before that), but that's mostly because I've finally worked out a schedule for myself that I think I can handle. As One Hour is my current baby, I'm going to be doing roughly 2 chapters of that per one of this, so it'll be a bit over a month between updates on this one. (I avg 2.5 weeks per update of One Hour)

Rest assured, as with all of my stories, this one will never be abandoned- even if it takes me years to finish. Frankly, as much as I love One Hour, I enjoy writing my adult-version of Hanabi way too much to give up on this one.  
But enough about boring stuff, on with the show!

**Chap. 7 First Contact**

"Hey, you three," Hanabi said casually, giving a greeting to the Chunin. "You haven't met my team yet, probably. This is Gendo Kenkei, Shiba Kinyue, and Ioka Toride." As she indicated each of her Genin team in turn, her Genin gave a little bow. _Taught the brats some respect for superior officers, at least, if not their sensei,_ Hanabi thought with a grin. "Team Ten, this is Team Hokage. We'll have an evening to get to know each other, so I'm going to cut right to the chase."

All six of the lower-ranking ninja gave a crisp nod, with her team smoothly moving over to join the other three, causing the six of them to stand in a line, her team on the left, and Inoko on the right. "Inoko, as the senior Chunin, you're going to be third in command of this mission, behind myself and Inuzuka Kiba."

The blonde-haired, black-eyed girl nodded. _She's dyed her hair every month or so for the last year- I'm surprised it hasn't all fallen out, by now. But her mother probably taught her to take good care of it..._ "I expect you to take direct charge over the watches. Feel free to discuss them with my team as well- as far as that is concerned, you're the ninja in charge. That goes for myself and Kiba, as well, though I recommend you giving us slightly longer shifts due to experience."

Inoko nodded again, "Yes, ma'am."

"Sir."

Inoko's right eyebrow raised. "Ma'am?"

"No, _Sir,_" Hanabi corrected again, "Ma'am is a respectful term to a civilian, Chunin Yamanaka. I am a ninja, and I prefer to be referred to by an appropriate title. We are all soldiers- so it's _sir_."

Kamisori shared a look of sympathy with her Genin, but none of the three broke their stiff attention to respond, though she could see muscles twitching that showed they wanted to._Heh... got 'em all properly terrified of me. Now I just have to show them I really meant what I said on the cliffs._  
"Yes, Sir," Inoko corrected herself, shooting a questioning look to her own Jonin Sensei, who gave a slight nod.  
Hanabi then turned to Kamisori, "Chunin Hatake, you are to be responsible for selecting our campsites once we reach River. I expect them to be easily defended, but comfortable as well. It won't do to have us all exhausted because we can't sleep. I'll have additional responsibilities to hand out later, once we meet up with the other teams. You'll be getting more."

He nodded, his shoulders falling slightly, but said nothing.

_No 'sir' or 'ma'am' from him? Twerp. Probably hates being commanded by a woman, even though I hear he takes orders from Inoko and Tenchi pretty well. Maybe he's just not used to the style- Naruto-kun said he was pretty relaxed about rules. Or maybe he's just never seen my 'mission face',_ she concluded with an inward smile.

"Chunin Aburame, you are going to be responsible for campsite cleanup, and gathering any firewood or local foodstuffs for our bivouac. I'm not very partial to bugs in my soup, though, so please don't try."

The stern tone she'd used caused all three of Hanabi's Genin to flinch and move away from the Chunin closest to them, but Tenchi and the blonde shinobi beside her only smiled. It hadn't been that long ago that, at one of the Hokage's parties 'just for some fun', had concluded- for Hanabi at least- with a bowl of her older sister's delicious ramen being infested with about seventy different kinds of insects. And Hanabi was not lying about _not_ being a bug person, though she had no problem with Tenchi personally.

"Team Ten, I've already discussed your assignments in this situation with you- if you have any questions, speak up now."

None of the three younger ninja made a sound, though Toride's jaw clenched. _What's he thinking about? I can't read his body language at all, except that he wants something._

"Yes, Genin Ioka?"

He flinched, his entire body spasming once from head to toe, and paled a few shades before his working jaw loosened enough to speak._I know he's not _that_ scared of me, so it must be something personal._ "Sensei, I know the Hokage said this will definitely be a combat mission, but, I'm not sure if we- if I- am... uh... quite, umm..."

"Ready, Toride?"  
Hanabi's voice was something unusual for her- both stern and concerned. Her Genin looked up in surprise, though each of the Chunin much less so- it had been one of those same gatherings where Hinata had collapsed going into labor with her second child, and Hanabi had displayed compassion and concern no one outside of her immediate family- even Naruto and Sakura- had ever seen from her before. "I know you aren't 'ready', not for this. But it's what you signed up for. Believe me, I wish you would _never_ have to go into combat, never have to kill."

All three of the Genin flinched again- and so did Inoko. At first, Hanabi was surprised, but when she looked into the black eyes, they were glazed over. _Remembering her first kill, no doubt. Naruto-kun said it was especially hard for her._ "But that doesn't mean you aren't ready in other ways. I've had to kill in my time, and I like to think I've had an easier time with it than many others. Some of that is the way I was trained- and I tried to emulate that with you. The harsher training toughens you up more than you think, and in ways you probably never would have expected. You're strong, stronger than you think. I would say that you," she spared a glance to her right, to see Naruto watching her closer with a knowing grin on his face, "are the strongest team of Genin to come out of the Academy in ten years."

Naruto laughed.

His own team scowled, even the disciplined- usually- Inoko.

Her team only expressed surprise- which grew when they realized their sensei was _not_ smiling or laughing- she was serious. "I mean it. If you three now went up against these three at your age, you'd win. Hands down."

She looked up, half-smiling, to see the older ninja glaring at her, then over to Naruto, to see a sheepish grin. "She's right, you know," he mumbled, "I didn't take my team's training seriously for... a long time after our team was formed. Knowing Hanabi, they'd kick your asses back then- but you can beat 'em now!"

His weak attempt at reassuring his former team didn't improve their moods.

"Uh, right then," he muttered, "I guess I'd better signal Sakura to start the reverse summoning. You ready, Sairu?"

Hanabi was truly surprised- apparently, the tiny slug had been sitting on Naruto's shoulder for their entire conversation, but she'd never noticed it- at least until it was spoken to.  
The slimy invertebrate gave an unmistakable nod, made a tiny sound that might have been, "Yes, Naruto-sama," and then vanished with a miniature puff of smoke.

"Right then, I'll see all six of you when you get back to Konoha. Be safe!"

Before any of them could respond, they were whizzing through space in less time than Hanabi could comprehend.

Several very strange- to her Genin, at least, although even Hanabi wasn't used to being summoned- minutes later, she instructed, "Team Ten, change into your warmer Konoha gear. Kiba, is your team combat-ready?"

The older Jonin nodded with a feral grin, "Yeah, I think so. Been running a lot of combat scenarios while you were gone. We even had a small mix-up with a boar pack last month, while your team was chillin' in Fuun-hime's palace."

Hanabi's Genin smirked, but Hanabi didn't react at all. _Even Kiba's not dumb enough to think I wouldn't take their training seriously. And he thought he could win Nee-chan from Naruto-kun!_ "Right. Team Sakura, Team Naruto, I want the two of you to fill the flank positions, travel in standard diamond, with a great diamond for the group. Kiba, you want scout, or should I?"

The older man closed his eyes for a moment. "I'll take it, I think. What's your range, about a thousand meters?"

Hanabi nodded, "A little less- maybe nine-ninety."

"Okay, I'll take it then. I generally start to smell things a little over half a kilometer away. If I smell something, I'll call you up."

"Good," she replied, then turned back to the lower ranking ninja, "Ten will be rear guard, then, with Nine as point. Team Leads should be on the outside."

Minutes later, the group had left the Hokage and his pink-haired wife behind, leaping almost directly south through the still-thick trees of southwestern Hi no Kuni.

The attack came about twenty minutes before dawn, when the fourteen Konoha shinobi were sitting down, eating their breakfast, and comfortably off their guard. All six of the Genin- Inazuka Doken and Rock Li having finally obtained Chunin status on their third try at the last Exam, in Kumogakure- were quite surprised when their cooking fire literally exploded, showering the entire clearing in cookware and the charred soup Akimichi Soren, the lead Chunin on Sakura's team, had made for their breakfast.

The ginger-haired, slender kunoichi was next on her feet, visibly enraged at the waste of food, behind the two Jonin, followed quickly by Inoko, and then the other Chunin, leaving the Genin to scramble as quickly as they could to join their comrades.

While they quickly scanned the woods for the ninja that had to be the source of the explosion, Inoko mentioned in a casual, though soft voice, "You guys have some pretty good reaction time."

Kinyue, the last of the Genin to have risen, looked put out by what she thought was a condescending statement. "Just 'cause I'm not able to see the future, like y-"

But she was cut off by the slightly taller, older female Chunin on the Hokage's team, "She wasn't being rude. I'm impressed, most Genin would only now be figuring out we were under attack. Hanabi-sensei and Kiba-sensei have done a good job with you."

The offended kunoichi, still scowling, turned away from the older two, who shared an amused glance. Hanabi, her Byakugan not missing a beat of this ineraction as she watched the woods around them, thought, _It's true, though. They caught on pretty quick, especially with an explosion designed to disorient._ "Hey, Kiba," she said after a few more moments of silence, "You smell anything?"

The older Jonin grimaced, "No- just water and trees and dirt. I can't even smell any animals around- and that's unusual."  
Hanabi nodded. "I can't see anything but trees, either. Then again, the Inuzuka and Hyuuga are pretty well known, as are our weaknesses... Tenchi-chan, do your friends sense anything?"

If the woman in question was bothered by the familiar form of address, she didn't show it- much like she showed very little at any time. _Sometimes she's too much like her creepy cousin._ "Neg, Sensei. It is possible that my own traits advertise my weaknesses as well."

Hanabi nodded. "Well, any other ideas? My best guess is a Genjutsu, but it's hard to get one over the Byakugan. Inoko?"

The youngest member of the Hokage's team nodded once, made a few handsigns, _And if those are real handsigns, I'll eat my- wait... she's pointing. Four fingers, three fingers, right, left... Good job, Inoko-chan!_  
"Right, well, we'll just split up and search, then. Team Sakura, I want you to head right from my position, Team Hokage, head left. I'll stay with the Genin, and hopefully we can flush them towards us."

Kiba looked confused for a moment, and looked like he wanted to speak, but a glare from Kakashi's son stopped him just in time. The boy nodded once and drew his kodachi before saying, "Hai, Sensei. Formation N?"

The last was directed at Inoko, who nodded. The the two females jumped into the trees, Inoko directly above Tenchi, who was as close as she could be to directly above Kamisori, before the three of them moved- more or less vertically- into the woods where Hanabi had directed.

As they moved away, Inoko's hand clenched over the kodachi strapped to her own back, but didn't withdraw it. _An excellent sign, Inoko- Naruto-kun's taught you guys very well too, it seems._

Kiba took only a moment to prepare his own team to move, and they went into the forest in a line with the Jonin at the center, with Usagi Kenjiro, a very agile weapons expert on his left, and Naomasa Ii, his resident long-ranged specialist, with a very sturdy-looking yumi, and the short, stocky Genin that had only been introduced to Hanabi as 'Bento'. He hadn't said a word to anyone the entire trip, as far as she'd been aware, but Kiba and his team didn't seem to take offense- they acted as if it was perfectly normal. _Of course, being named after a boxed lunch probably gets him no end of ribbing... I understand why he's taciturn._

"Team Sakura, you're our heavy combat team- I want you three to stay out of this if possible. Save your strength for when we get further in." The three members of the pinkette's team nodded curtly, but didn't move from their spots, still watching the forest around them.

"Ano, S-Sensei..."  
_Damn it, Kenkei, grow a pair! Just because it's combat doesn't mean you have to turn into a mouse like Nee-chan! _"Yes?"

"A- Aren't we going to, you know... do anything?"

"Nope."

"B- But-"

"No." At least this time she was nice enough to close her eyes, shutting off her Byakugan, and turn to look at her team. "Do you really want to be in the thick of it, risking life and limb? Are you that desperate to die?"

Now the three of them looked confused. Surprisingly, it was Li who answered their unasked question, "Your Sensei probably only wants to deal with one Genin team in danger at a time. It would be too difficult to protect both teams at once, even if Kiba-sensei is with the other team. It isn't a slight against you."

Toride, who'd actually shifted his eyes to watch the bowl-cut (but thankfully not green-clad) shinobi speak, turned back to his own team leader. "Sensei? Is that true?"

Hanabi nodded. "More or less. It's that, and the fact that something's going on. Inoko saw something- she was signalling with her hands during that 'jutsu' she used. I sent the two teams to where she saw it, but I wasn't sure what she meant, so we're staying here in case there's another attack here."

Mostly appeased, the Genin slowly settled from annoyed to nervous. The sounds of the other two teams had long since vanished into the forest, but there was no sign of another attack. Every few minutes, at odd intervals, Hanabi would activate her kekkei genkai, look around for about a second, and then relax it. At no point did her team see her actually move.

It was a gruelling hour for the untested Genin, and, truth be told, it wasn't easy for the more experienced ninja, either.

Kiba's team was the first one back, the Jonin carrying a stranger on his back. The captive- obviously wounded, and most likely unconscious- was a slight man of about twenty. _But he's so ragged-looking, I could be up or down by ten years and never know. _The Inuzuka was preceded by Bento, the other two behind and to the sides of their team lead in a standard carry-and-escort formation. _Not much imagination, but at least they're smooth in their operations. If my team was that practiced at working together, we'd be just about unstoppable. Maybe I need to study his teamwork excercises._ It was a mark of Hanabi's growing- rapidly- humility that she would even think to herself that anything the ill-mannered dog-nin knew could be useful.

"Prisoner?"

Kiba nodded, and dropped him with a grunt, "Bento got him with his hammer, snapped a few ribs. He's out, but I don't think it's that bad- green, probably, judging by the way he was moving. No visible blood, just a nasty-ass bruise. Figured we could ask him some shit."

Hanabi's white eyes rolled slightly at her fellow Jonin's crass speech, but didn't reprimand him. _He _is_ technically in charge, even if I'm supposed to run everything..._ "Excellent. Do we have an interrogation specialist in the group?" She turned her eyes to Sakura's team, who each shook their heads, Soren doing so while she knelt at the prisoner's side.

One of the slender Akimichi's hands moved over his face, the other over his ribs, each glowing with a faint, green light. After a minute's concentration, she looked up at the Jonin, "You're right, Kiba-sensei. Three broken ribs, the worst is about half-way through. Looks like he passed out from the pain, but there's also some minor asphyxiation. I should probably bind him, but I'm not comfortable setting bones with Chakra- I'm not that good a medic."

Hanabi shrugged. "I can handle cuts and scrapes, but nothing on that magnitude. I hear Kamisori's a good medic, when he gets back. Just bind him for now, we'll worry about it later. Maybe Inoko's good enough at her mother's jutsu to get what we need from him."

**A/N2:** Please, oh, Please! Read, and most importantly Review! As I've said at least ten times so far, I'll never hold a story hostage, but I've had precious few for this story- I need to know what you guys think, so that I can make it the best it can be. (Under my meager writing talents, at least)

Feedback- positive or negative- is essential to improving.

See you next chapter. :)


	8. Chapter 8: Fury, Hate, Death, Love

**A/N:** Not much to say this time, since I've already said at least once that I would be putting posting chapters of this story behind One Hour, and both behind my novel (which is in third-draft stage, though still at the beginning- go me!). Not a month's wait so far, though, so no whining from the peanut gallery, I hope. :)

Enjoy Chap. 8!

**Chap. 8 Fury, Hate, Death, Love**

"Firecracker, target spotted. I mark six total. Three at rest, two at heat, one at fence."

"Roger, Katana. Firecracker confirms, six targets. Katana will take Fence, Black on Blonde will take Heat South, Skitter will take Heat West."

There were three clicks, one right after the other, the last caused by a single depression of Hatake Kamisori's radio transmit button, before the attack leader resumed her instructions in a low, measured voice, "Shield will take Rest North, Loli will take Rest Northeast, and Detective will handle Rest East. Firecracker is on backup."

Again, there were three clicks, but they were unevenly spaced compared to the first three. _Ah well. Time to fine-tune radio use in the years to come... not like we've got time in the middle of a small war._ "Move out."

From her position in a tree about thirty feet over the enemy's campfire, Hanabi watched as Kamisori glided up behind the sentry and cut his throat with a tanto that she knew, from experience of sparring against him, was sharper than any razor she'd shaved with. She didn't hear him make a sound, not even when he released the body to slide the last foot or so down his leg to the forest floor. _For a medic, he's damned good at the silent kill. Makes sense, given his parents, but... wow. I don't think any of Neji-nii-san's team could have done it as well._  
A few seconds later, there was a blur of motion in black and indigo behind one of the men stirring the cook pot, just as the ground dropped from below the other man sitting next to the campfire, who'd been taking a swig of some brown liquid from a glass bottle. _Timing's good from Tenchi, too. Can't scream if his mouth's full of booze. Inoko's the perfect killer, of course, no worries there._

Again, moments after the first three men had been downed by Team Hokage, one almost beheaded, one suffocating a few feet underground, and one with a kunai in the back of his head, Hanabi's own team appeared out of the darkness.

The three younger ninja were watching their seniors with a combination of awe and fear. The ease with which each of them had completed their assigned tasks impressive to Hanabi, so she knew her Genin, who had likely never seen a real ninja in action aside from sparring and the bear, knew they were in for a very eye-opening few days, at the least.

_Still, I know they can take it. I'm not sure how they'll react to their first kills. I know I was taken in by the romantic side of being a ninja... my whole graduating class was. But we aren't really warriors, we're killers. At least ideally. I think Toride can handle it, he's got pretty thick skin. Kinyue's the one I worry most about, being the girl, but then again, all the women I know are stronger than the men... so maybe I should worry about Kenkei instead. He's been pretty pampered, from what I've seen so far._

It went much as Hanabi had expected. The three older ninja gathered behind the younger ones without a word, waiting for them to do their duty, or back down. It wasn't something Hanabi really liked, but it was the custom for a reason. _If they can't do it, the job needs to get done. If they can, they usually need support after. Support I probably can't provide, at least not for all three of them at once. I'm glad I have the backup, really. _Toride had walked into the campsite with a kunai drawn, held underhanded. His jaw was set, his eyes hard. _He's about as ready as he's going to get._

The young shinobi moved at once to his assigned tent, where he was tempted to breathe a sigh of relief. His target's head was only a few inches inside the open tent flap. He wouldn't have to risk waking him before he died. Still, though, he looked up before kneeling at the tent's entrance, making sure the other two were in position before he acted.  
A quick, nervous glance between the three Genin later, they finally acted as one. The couple dived inside the larger tent which held two of the sleepers just as Toride's kunai flashed downward.

_Shit, _now_ they get their timing synched!_

Hanabi dropped immediately to the forest floor, on the far side of the two tents from the three Chunin. It took her Byakugan only a moment to fully analyze the situation.

Toride's knife had gone in easily enough, but he had underestimated the strength it would take to pull the half-inch thick blade across the target's wind pipe, and thus silence him. It was a lethal wound, of course, but the man was able to cry for help, and unfortunately, it appeared the at least one of the other Genin's target was a light sleeper, because both of them were suddenly up and drawing weapons.

The three members of Team Hokage looked to Hanabi, who shook her head slightly. _Not yet. I have to see if they can recover... I just hope we can save them if it goes bad._

Moments later, there was a deep cry of pain when Kenkei's spare kunai- drawn to replace the one that had been disarmed by the second attacker, who had ignored Kinyue- pierced the boy's target's thigh. _Not a good hit, that's just going to make him mad, kid. Stop screwing around, or you and your girl are dead meat. Kill the man! He's a thief and murderer anyway!_

Hanabi almost missed seeing Kinyue's strike, as she buried two kunai of her own into her target's back, pushing them down into his kidneys. _Nice shot, two killing blows at the same time. But that'll take a long time to bring him down..._

In a fury, that same man had whirled around and tackled Kinyue, yelling out, "Bitch just stabbed me, _twice_! I'm gonna have some _fun_ with this one, Goro! You can take over after you get rid of that brat!"

The high pitched scream that followed made Tenchi, Kamisori, and Inoko pale, the Yamanaka looking at Hanabi again for instruction. But the Jonin shook her head from side to side once. "Not yet," she whispered, "give them a chance. He's got her shirt, but she's not pinned yet."

Kenkei, on hearing his girlfriend's scream of horror, had totally lost it. Abandoning his weapons, the young man had begun launching shoddy punches and kicks at any part of the much larger man he could reach. Inoko and Hanabi, both of whom could see through the tent to varying degrees, frowned. The Hyuuga even stepped toward the large tent twice, before there was a sudden, much louder, scream of pain.

Hanabi had missed what happened, but the man who had been half-over her female teammate rolled away, clutching his face, trying to withdraw what appeared to be a senbon needle from one of his eyes. "Leave him alone!" Kinyue roared, as she flipped herself upright. Before Hanabi reached the tent flap- a two-step journey- it was over. A flurry of shuriken had flown from the girl's hands, both of them, peppering the large man with sharp, pointy pieces of metal. With one hand holding Kenkei in the air, and the other holding a dagger, he hadn't been able to defend more than his eyes.\

When Hanabi got inside, he was halfway to the ground, bleeding from two spots on his throat, _those will be kill-shots too,_ one in his stomach, four in his legs, and one that had somehow gone between two ribs, straight into his aorta._ Wow. How'd she get so accurate? Without the Byakugan, even..._ _I don't know if Tenten-nee-chan could have done all those hits that well. And the two-fisted kunai to the kidneys, too. I'm really impressed!_

"Come on out, you two," she said in a voice as controlled as she could make it, "I'll search them for documents. And... well done."

Kenkei and Kinyue both flinched. One in shame, the other in fear and horror. _Oh well... at least it's sinking in. That's a good sign for later, to have it hit this fast. You'll be all right, Kinyue. Two kills on your first combat mission already._

When Hanabi stepped outside the tent a few minutes later, Tenchi was tending the fire with one hand and eye, while the other was staring intently at a mole she was holding in her right hand. She seemed to be whispering to it, because a moment later, the mole _nodded_, then dropped off her hand and disappeared into the ground within seconds. Looking right, she saw Kamisori talking to Toride, and Kenkei, but Inoko and Kinyue were nowhere to be found._ Not worth activating the Byakugan. Inoko-sempai will take good care of her. Only kunoichi near my age I can really respect, after all. I guess Tenchi's not bad, but she's older. And Moegi's kind of okay, if she hadn't... well... too late for that now, Hanabi. Buck up. Your kids might need you._

_Story of my life. Suck it up, Hanabi. There's people relying on you. 'You need to lead the Clan one day, Hanabi. Your sister is too weak. Or, your sister is now a Namikaze. Or... fuck it.' Sometimes it's 'you're a proud kunoichi, Hanabi. You don't have time to let it show, Hanabi. You have to be strong for your friends, for your family, so they don't worry for you, Hanabi.' and let's not forget my new favorite, 'don't let your Genin see you being weak, Hanabi. They need to look up to you, Hanabi. Learn what it means to be a real ninja, Hanabi.'_

_Sometimes I hate being strong._

As she continued to muse, though, she was struck by a thought going almost the opposite direction.

_When did I turn into a whiner, anyway? It's been a damned _privilige_ being sensei to these kids. So I have to be the adult sometimes. So what? Not like we don't all grow up sometime, anyway. So yeah... 'Suck it up, Hanabi'. Kami, don't be such a baby._

The Jonin moved to sit next to Tenchi, who volunteered in her soft, measured voice, "I have sent word to Inuzuka-san. If I hear word before dawn, I will relay it."

Hanabi nodded. "Your team's pretty good," she said after a few minutes, mostly to drown out the words of the three males across the clearing. _Guy-talk... bullshit._  
Tenchi nodded, "Thank you, Hyuuga-san. Hokage-sama insisted that we learn all aspects of being a ninja. Some have come easier than others, but the expectations on the three of us made us... strong, if it's not presumptious of me to say so."  
Hanabi actually smiled, the first time she could remember doing so to anything the quiet Aburame had said, "Yeah, I can see that. Naruto-sama wouldn't let you slack off, I'm sure, unless he was. I don't know anyone that trains more than he does, either."

The Hyuuga heiress was even further surprised to see a small smile grace Tenchi's face. _And that's a strange sight, too. I've seen her smile at Naruto, Inoko, and Sakura and Hinata, even more at Kamisori, but... at me? Wow. Maybe she's not as uptight as Shino-sempai after all._

Eventually, though, Hanabi found her attempts to drown out the boy's conversation with small talk stymied by the older girl's cool facade and generally taciturn nature.

"-don't care, it just doesn't matter, man," Kamisori was saying, his voice low and serious, "I mean, really... I'm one of the best swordsmen in the entire Village, and I've got nine kills to my name, that counts tonight. I can use Snake ninjutsu to kill in an instant, too. But I don't kill as much as Tenchi and Inoko. There's no reason to be upset that your girlfriend got two kills and you got jipped, man."

Hanabi's eyes flickered over to see Kenkei scowling, and Toride doing his best to ignore the conversation beside him. His arms were crossed, leaning back against the linden tree behind him, as he glared softly at his own feet. _Damn it. I don't think Kamisori's getting to him at all. I hope I don't have to talk to him about it. I handled my own first kill bad enough. My favorite student? That would suck._

"-my girlfriend! She had to save _me_, when I was trying to save _her_! I'm worthless! I shouldn't even be a shinobi! I-"

Kamisori tried to speak over him, so loudly that Hanabi could only make out a few words, "-don't judge- next to others- no comparison- two different-", but the argument was silenced with a low thump.

Her eyes flicked over, followed by the Aburame's, to see Kenkei holding the top of his head with both hands as he glared daggers at Toride, who was smirking and rubbing one of his fists into the palm of the other hand. "You really think it makes a difference, Kenkei? You think we want you to give up, just because you're a day or two behind in getting your 'first kill'? That's bullshit. This is a _war_, dumbass! We'll both see plenty of it, before the end. So your girldfriend saved you- she's a kunoichi! It's her job to watch your back, just like it's yours to watch hers! Her _job_! You should be grateful she's good at it, unlike half of the kunoichi in our class! If she wasn't, you'd probably be dead because of my screw-up!"

_Ah..._ Hanabi thought, _that's why he's taking it so bad._

Kenkei didn't respond until Toride stomped off into the forest. Tenchi returned her attention to the low fire, and the discussion between the snake-medic and Kenkei continued for a few minutes more, at a much lower volume, before Hanabi got up and silently padded into the forest after her own team's 'loner'.

"And I... I just... I couldn't even _think_ about what that bastard wanted to do to _me,_ I just... I saw the other one holding Kenkei off the ground, and I... I just..."

"Went wild," Inoko finished quietly. She was only a few years older than the other girl, fifteen- almost sixteen, now- to Kinyue's twelve, but there was a lifetime of difference in experience. She was sure she'd be able to talk the other girl through this, having suffered a similar frenzy during her first kill, as well. As her mind drifted back to that day, the most trying of her young life, she was able to force a smile. _This ought to help... I just have to swear her to secrecy._

"Hey, can you keep a secret?"

The young, black-haired girl nodded slowly, still crying quietly.

"Okay, you have to promise me, then, you can't tell this story to anyone. Ever. And I mean _ever_. It's practically treason, since it kind of slanders the Hokage. So just keep it between us, okay? Don't even tell him I told you."

Amazed that she would be trusted with such sensitive knowledge, the younger kunoichi controlled her tears with great effort, then nodded, "Promise. I won't... I won't say anything."

Already blushing lightly, Inoko replayed the story for the benefit of the younger Konoha nin, "I was just ten, not even as old as you are, and it was our first C-rank, a combat mission against bandits. Sensei- Hokage-sama- had given us each a pretty personal test on our way out, to make sure we were emotionally and mentally ready for it. Tenchi and Kamisori... they passed, but they were so messed up by it, that he sent them home anyway. He said I was strong enough, and that we could do the mission with just us."

Impressed, Kinyue whispered, her voice still unsteady, "Hokage-sama and you, when you were only ten? How many bandits?"

Inoko shrugged, "Doesn't matter, six I think. But we got to the cave they were hiding in, had a plan, and took them out. He dropped the guards, we snuck in, and split up. He handled three of them, including the leader. He was a master swordsman, but no problem for Sensei. I... I during the test, my eyes- the Sharingan- woke up for real. Beating that guy, an untrained rufian, in taijutsu was no problem, even though he was three times bigger than me, after that. I kicked him in the head, and he fell over backwards. He... his head landed on a spike on the cave floor, stabbed his brain. I didn't realize he was dead for a while, so I kept hitting him until... well, Sensei stopped me."

Inoko, only half in the present, noted that the younger girl was shaking again, but that her crying had stopped. _Not like it's easy for me to relive this, either, but if it helps, kiddo, I'll tell you a thousand times._ "Well... I was pretty out of it for a while after that. Going back and forth between numb and furious, but mostly just dead to the world. I couldn't make myself _feel_ anything about the guy I'd just killed. Murdered, really, because he hadn't stood a chance. It was like me killing this guy, tonight. It just took longer."  
The bleached-blonde kunoichi paused again to clarify, "I'm not trying to boast or anything, I just want to make it clear- shinobi fight sometimes, yes, but if we're doing our job, we're killers and assassins. It's what we do. Hokage-sama's a pretty shitty ninja sometimes, because he really only knows flashy, combat-oriented techniques. But he can still sneak around better than anyone I know, so... he does all right. Anyway... I'd just started hitting puberty, so I was an emotional wreck even before all of this, then with Sensei's test, and my first kill... I kind of lost it."

"What did you do?" the younger girl whispered again, her eyes wide, hands still quivering.

"I... I threw myself at him. Kissed him. Begged him to f- to make l- to... well, to take me."

Kinyue blushed at once, but said nothing.  
"Anyway... he turned me down, of course. I was just a kid, and even though he's a pretty young Hokage, he's still more than ten years older than me. But I was furious at the time, so I attacked him... he held me down, got me talking again. If it wasn't for him... I'd have thrown myself on my kunai or something before we even got home. But he helped me out, and then so did talking to my mom. She's... well, she _gets_ people. Part of the Yamanaka training. She's taught me a bit too, so... well, I really just mean, I know what you're going through. It sucks. But it's what we are, it's what we signed up for. If you don't think you can hack it, after the mission, go resign. Hokage-sama won't think less of you for it. But we do a lot of good with what we do too, so... I'll keep going until I can't help people out any more. I think you'll be a strong kunoichi too, if you want to be. If you let yourself be."

Kinyue's tears started back up, and continued after the older girl wrapped her in her arms, though nothing more was said.

Hanabi continued on, after pausing to lip-read the conversation between her student and the Hokage's with the Byakugan, moving on an intercept course with Toride's path. A minute or two later, she called out quietly, "Ioke- hey, Toride. Stop for a second."

At first, he ignored her, relentlessly pacing through the forest in a circle around the camp. After a little bit, when she'd closed the gap by about half, he finally halted, but didn't turn to face her. When she was a few steps away, he murmured, "I'm just keeping watch, Sensei. I don't- I just want to be alone for a bit. You don't have to worry about me."

Hanabi nodded, but put her hand on his shoulder anyway. _I hate being short... it sucks to have a student as tall as you are, and one even taller!_ "I know you do. But I don't think you _should_ be. At least not yet."

He didn't respond, so she continued, "Look... I'm not the best at this sort of thing, I never have been. But I can tell that Kamisori didn't really help. You aren't the type that words of sympathy and support really do any good for, are you?"

The younger shinobi snorted. "Not a pansy, you mean? I already told you I'm from Iwa. Being around Konoha after the war toughened me up."

This time, Hanabi gave a little laugh, "Doesn't mean there aren't chinks in your armor. I know you can handle the kill- I'm not worried about that. You're upset because you think you screwed up."

He froze, then nodded.

"Well... you did. So did your teammates, and so did I. None of us did it exactly as we practiced, did we? You didn't pull hard enough, they went too late, I dropped down when I should have stayed hidden... we're ninja, but we're also human, okay? We all screw up. No plan survives contact with the enemy. Shit happens. I could say it in a million ways, but it's all the same thing. Just... get over it. Try not to do it next time."

He was silent for a long time, but Hanabi didn't speak again until after he did, "You know, I kind of... I don't think much of myself, either. I donno. Maybe it's just because I listened to what the Konoha people said- still say- about Iwa all the time. I mean, I think they were bastards for attacking the Leaf, too. So... maybe I'm just like they are, like everyone says? It's really... it's easy for me to hear that stuff, because... it's true, in a way. Even if part of me knows it's not, most of me knows it is. I'm bad, evil, a killer, a murderer... I proved it, tonight, even if I'm not very good at it. So... I don't know. I just think I need to get laid, or something. Kamisori and Kenkei both seem to think it'd solve all of their problems."

Hanabi snorted out loud, then blushed when her student gave her an amused look. Trying to recover her composure before she lost any more face, she snickered, "Don't we all... look, I'm no expert on people or anything, but... that's just a temporary fix. It feels nice, I guess. But it's not all people make it out to be. At least, it isn't for me. I haven't gotten any in... Kami, I can't believe I'm telling you this. I haven't... in about three years. I'm not crying over it, either. It's just... it's a distraction. That's all it is, when it comes to things like this. So you can go get some after the mission, I guess. Maybe Kiba-san would know a brothel in town, or whatever. But if it was me, I'd suck it up, and move along."

Toride snorted again. "Suck _what_ up, Sensei?"

Hanabi's blush deepened considerably. "What- but- you- _hey_! You're only _twelve_! Don't pretend like you know what you're-"

"I'm fourteen, actually, Sensei."

The Jonin froze. "Fourteen? Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah... I entered the Academy late, because of coming from Iwa and all. I was going to start in Iwa the year we moved, but when my dad got the job in Konoha, I had to wait another two years because of the citizenship requirements."

"But," she replied, her face showing obvious confusion, "you're as tall as I am. I'm short, so if you were fourteen, you would proably-"

He interrupted again, but like before, Hanabi was too distracted to be annoyed by it, "I'm short. I'm from Iwa, it's pretty common there. I'm taller than my mom by an inch, and my dad's only a couple taller than Kenkei."

_Huh. Now I don't feel _quite_ so bad..._ "Oh. Well... learn something new, I guess. So... don't listen to that shit people say about you, okay? You're a good shinobi, for a Genin. You wouldn't have been put on my team anyway, if you weren't talented. You're mature- well, maybe not for your age, but at least for a fresh Genin. Hell, I can stand to talk to you, and even though I like 'em, have I _ever_ been caught having an actual conversation with our other teammates?"

Toride chuckled, shaking his head. "No... have I?"

She grinned, but resumed her serious expression almost at once. "What I'm getting at... I think I'm a pretty objective observer. Of my Genin, you have the most talent, and the most dedication. Hokage-sama would say you have the best chance of being a great shinobi. Listen to us, me and him. Listen to the people who support you, even if you aren't the type who needs support. Don't listen to the people that belittle you, tear you down. You don't need them."

He was silent for a while again, but it was Hanabi who spoke next, on a slightly different subject, "I used to wonder why I even accepted this mission. I didn't think much of the three of you when we first started as a team- I'm sure you remember."

"Still have some bruises from it, actually."

She smiled, "Good- means the lesson sunk in, then. But now, you guys are like... I don't know, it's ahrd to describe. Studends, yeah. Friends, almost. Kind of like... like I said, it's weird. Kinyue's almost like the little sister I would have hated to have, Kenkei's like a jerky little brother, and you're like the neighbor kid I can actually stand to hang out with. You kind of grew on me, and I'm starting to love you guys."

Running the tiniest bit of chakra through her eyes, as she always did at night, Hanabi could still see the telltale blush creeping up the boy's neck. "I'm going to head back," she said in an effort to save him- and herself- some embarrassment, "go ahead and take the picket tonight. Tenchi said she's got a message en-route to Kiba-san, so we should have word by morning. I'll send Kinyue or Inoko out at midnight. If you need me- any of us- just ask. It's okay to be a pillar of strength, but even a pillar needs a base to stand on, you know?"

He didn't reply, but she could see his lips moving out the back of her head as she returned to camp.

"Starting to... love us?"

_Crap... what have I gotten myself into now?_

**A/N2:** Again, not much to say. Bit of action, bit of fluff, not the best writing for either, imho, but it did move the story to where I want it to be for next chapter- in more ways than one. Next chapter will be the actual start of the mission, but will start off the morning after this one ends, and conclude with the group in the thick of the fighting, I would think. But we shall see.  
I'm due for two chapters of One Hour before I post another here, though, so it could be a month or two before that happens. We shall see! WE SHALL SEE, I say!

Ja ne!


	9. Chapter 9: River of Blood

**A/N:** Uh... sorry?  
Really, I just haven't had much time to write _anything_ lately, what with spending hours moving, then trying to find a job (it's been nearly a _year_ since I've worked, and my unemployment is gone. Eek. If anyone in central Utah knows of openings...), so on and so forth. Short version: Reel Lief Bluews.

On the plus side: Hey, you get a (short) chapter of LB2! Yay!

Don't forget to read and (review, please, this story hardly has any- about 1 per chapter!) enjoy!

**Chap. 9 River of Blood**

Things were going well so far, all things considered.  
At least, that was Hanabi's take on their situation. The three Chunin and three Genin in her current squad tended to be a little more dismal about the whole affair.

There had been clouds moving in the night of their last encounter, the encounter where two of her three Genin had been blooded. Near dawn the next day- probably prompted by the warming air- the clouds had burst into a furious thunderstorm that delayed their progress by an entire day. Not that it kept them from leaving on time. No, they were Ninja and wouldn't let a little thing like a storm keep them from getting to their destination on time.  
It was more the fact that they were heading into the wind, and that every branch was soaked so badly there were many slips and falls- even in the case of the older, more experienced ninja- that slowed them up. All in all, Hanabi was very grateful that the Hokage had assigned two medics to their mission aside from Sakura, who they wouldn't be meeting up with until later anyway, and that each had one in their squads. _If we hadn't had Kamisori to fix Inoko's broken leg and patch up Kenkei's arm after that branch went through it, we'd be in bad shape time-wise, not to mention the drop in our combat ability. He's pretty handy to have around- wish we had a medic on the team._

The seven young shinobi (Hanabi being the oldest at just over twenty) were finally at their assigned meeting point- but neither their targets nor the team they were supposed to be rendezvouing with seemed to be around. She'd sent Inoko to scout one direction around their chosen campsite, with the younger girl grumbling the entire way out of the camp, while she'd taken the other- which had caused the rest of the team no end of relieved sighs. _Pansies! Trackers get to spend their time in the weather. It's what we do. I'm not letting them slack on _purpose_, it's just that Tenchi's bugs need some time to get used to the area before she's at top effeciency, and she can't really do that until it's dry. Inoko and I were just the best choices given what we had._

A few moments later, she was approaching the campsite. For a moment, Hanabi debated whether or not to give her Genin a scare by sneaking into camp and playing "assassinate the useless ones" (ie, her Genin), but thought better of it after only a moment. She doubted it was a good idea during wartime in any case, but sneaking into a group of nervous, twitchy, tired, and frustrated Chunin who- most likely- were her match in combat just didn't seem like a wise course of action. Maybe if they were in Konoha- _maybe_.

"Hey," she called from just outside the assigned picket line, "Firecracker's about to burst."

Then, more quietly to herself, "Stupid password, anyway. If I was really about to burst... well, I _do_ have to pee, but still."

"Come on in, Sensei," Kenkei responded a moment later, gesturing her to the shielded cook fire (shielded from both sight and rain, of course) the group was using to heat their meager meals.  
As Hanabi sat between Toride and Kinyue, the others all looked at her expectantly.

With a sigh, Hanabi ladled up her supper while she reported, "Nothing. No sign that Kiba's team's been by, nor the other team from River, or any sign of the team from Suna. There _might_ have been someone going down the river in a barge a day or two ago, but with this rain, and in a heavy-traffic river like this, I can't really be sure. Just a broken branch caught on a rock near the edge, nothing to really go off of. Inoko not back, then?"

Tenchi shrugged, while Kamisori's face fell into a troubled expression. "No... you didn't give her the long half, did you? She's had a cold recently. I'm a bit..." but the teen didn't finish.

This time, it was Hanabi's shoulders who raised. "Nothing I can do about that. No, I took the long half, but that doesn't mean she didn't find terrain difficulties. Maybe she found our quarry and is checking them out, or even our allies. Any number of things could have slowed her down. If she's not back by dark, Tenchi and I can go look. I'll need you to stay with the kids."

He nodded. She was sure, _At least, I would be if I were him_, that he wanted to be one to go find their supposedly errant teammate, but he would have to deal with it. He wasn't a tracker, short of using his snake summons, and that was a waste of chakra when she and the Aburame could perform the same task more quickly and efficiently, not to mention over a larger area- especially in inclement weather..

But their luck started to turn just as Tenchi and Hanabi were preparing to set out in search of Inoko. The younger kunoichi dropped down out of the trees into the center of the campsight, breathless, but smiling. "Guys! Get packed, we've gotta move!"

The three Genin looked to their Sensei for instructions, but her only response was, "That sounded like an order to me. Get up, you lazy sacks!" and even threw a half-hearted kick in Toride's direction. He grimaced, but none of them said a word in protest as they stowed their just-unrolled sleeping bags, while the scout explained.  
"Met up with both Big Beatdown and one of six teams from Suna. It's not the Kazekage's team, but it's the next best thing- Sabaku no Temari-sama is leading those squads, and she reports they have two more on the way led by her brother and the Kazekage's girlfriend."

Hanabi nodded, but Inoko continued before she could reply, "It gets better. Not only is our strength about to triple, the bandits got stalled by the storm worse than we did. One of their barges lost control, cost them a day and a half to get it off a sandbar, and they lost about twelve people- I got close enough to read lips, but the guy I was watching didn't know the exact number. He said a dozen, though, I'm sure of it. The leader's on the other river- the Suna side- but there's a pretty nasty-sounding Iwa nukenin in charge of this group. 'bout sixty total, maybe a third ninja of some kind, a few ronin or other ji-samurai, and the rest are just bandits and thugs. We should be okay taking them out with alone if we have to, if we play it smart. Most of the reinfocements will stay on that side of the river, of course, they have to protect Suna's interests."  
Hanabi nodded again. "Makes sense, just like we're staying on our side for the most part. Tenchi, can you send a couple of moles with messages?"

The Aburame gave a small nod.  
"Right, do this then- first, send one to Sakura's team with the message that I want them to reinforce Suna. If Suna is able- Temari knows their strength better than we do- then I request they send a few- two squads is plenty- to help us out just in case. With the second, I want you to let Kiba know the plan, since they're downriver."

Tenchi nodded and turned her attention to the scroll pouch sewn into her flak vest just below her small breasts.  
And then a flash of inspiration struck Hanabi. "Actually... "  
The Aburame paused.  
"Correction- have Kiba send a team- say half his Genin and Chunin- to reinforce Matsuri's position. Let Temari know we're doing that, too, but instead of just any team or two, have her send her best ambush strategists or trapmakers. I just... I had an idea."

She didn't explain, not even when when Kenkei got on his knees, laughing, and begged. Instead, her wicked grin just got wider and wider.

Nine days after they departed Yukigakure, Hanabi and her Genin arrived at Kiba's position, accompanied by a pair each of Genin and Chunin from Suna, the two Genin had been part of the team of the senior Chunin, Ganbetsu, who had been on Temari's first Genin team. After checking in with the pickets and confirming their identities with Rock Li, she and the squads with her made their way to Kiba's tent, to find Matsuri there as well.

While the two friends- though they only rarely saw each other, Matsuri was close to her own age, like Inoko, and similar in personality- greeted each other, the newcomers settled in around the detailed map of River no Kuni that Kiba and Matsuri had been pondering.

"So anyway," Hanabi said after giving Matsuri a quick hug, "You guys might have noticed- bandits stopped coming down the river, right?"

Matsuri nodded, while Kiba responded, "Yeah. We were wondering about that. Did you guys just take care of them, or something? Did they exaggerate the reports again?"

Hanabi grinned visciously. "No, no... not yet. We're taking care of it today, though. We've had Suna's best trapmakers and sapper ninja and my own teams working on the East Flow for days, both north and central. We cut off the river completely, and any minute now, the water level here will be dropping rapidly as the river empties out. We only just kept ahead of it- stranded the bandits. Once they give up, we let the river loose again, and _bam_, no more raiders. At least, none that can't swim."

Kiba smiled widely.  
"I'm not done yet," Hanabi continued, "If somehow they _do_ stay afloat, me and Inoko scouted out their barges- they all ride pretty low in the water, but we rigged a bunch of razor-wire across the river. It's irregular in height and spacing, but there's no clear path and it's dusted so it won't reflect. No way they'll see it before it's too late. They'll be carried down fast enough that they won't have time to react before half of them are cut to ribbons- mostly at the neck."

Matsuri paled, causing Hanabi to swallow and turn toward her, "Sorry, Matsuri... I forgot you don't much like killing. You know, like any of us 'sane' people do..."

The other kunoichi shook her head, "No, it's all right, Hanabi. I'm not fond of it, but I understand the need. I even carry a few kunai now, see?"

As the other woman opened up her supply pouch for the Konoha kunoichi to glance inside, Hanabi reflected that a lot had changed over the years since Gaara had become Kazekage, and even more since Naruto had become Hokage. _A pacifist ninja who excells at everything she does, and who is praised for her dedication- but she still kills when needed. I knew I liked her for a reason._

"Anything else?" Kiba asked, trying to get the discussion back on track.

Hanabi shook her head. "Nope. Should only have to wait. The rest of the team not resting is relaying the last part of the plan- a dam down here to force them to fight us on defensible terrain- to the ninja you've had resting. Team Hokage is up at the top of the river, and two Jonin from Suna are at the midway point where the wires are to take care of things there if they need to. All we need to do is wait for the bandits to start getting off the barges. They'll signal over the radio when they do, and we blow the upper dam. The bandits that survive will come right to us, surrounded and confused. Should be an easy fight."

The Inuzuka's grin never faltered. "Right... remind me never to piss off a Hyuuga Princess again, okay, Hanabi? You girls are just _mean_."

The brunette nodded, now smiling herself.

It was over practically before it began. Seven barges made it to the lower dam, one of them had been blown to pieces before arrival by a well-lobbed explosive thrown by the Suna Jonin, and none had more than six men on it, one didn't have any. Iwa ninja though most of the survivors were, by the time their barges had crashed against the dam, half had been cut down from the traps and flung shuriken, explosive tags, and kunai from both sides of the river's overhanging trees.  
When the boarding parties began to move, the last quickly surrendered, leaving most of the allied ninja pleased by the quick results and easy battle, but also leaving one increasingly-frustrated Gendo Kenkei, who still hadn't scored a kill.

Later that day, Sakura and the other Jonin, along with the leaders of a mostly-evacuated Senjouchi Gai were puzzled, confused, even a bit mystified when the river started to run red with what was obviously blood. The group picked up their pace as they fled to the east.

**A/N2:** Not much to say this time that I didn't above, just one quick explanation: Ji-samurai is a "half-samurai". It's a member of the samurai caste, ie, they carry the daisho, etc etc- but they are from a lesser, vassal family, not a 'real' family. Ex: Naomasa Ii, who is named after a real-life Japanese general from the Warring States period (rl Ii was a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the Shoguns of that period. He was born to samurai, and was thus one himself, but had no clan holdings etc to speak of until Tokugawa promoted him based on his skill at command to one of his retainers. Ii's family was actually in the service of Imagawa Yamamoto, one of the Emperor's sons, until his death, which happened at the battle where Ii's parents were killed (and home destroyed) when he was a small boy.  
Anyway, that's your Japanese History/Language lesson for the chapter. 'till next time, kiddies!


	10. Chapter 10: A moment in the Sun

**A/N:** So it's been a while since my last update, though not long as far as this story goes. But I have some truly good news! It's _ten pages_, single-spaced. For me, that's a long-ass update, and a long chapter. But it gets better! Not only is it ten pages, it's ten _fun_ pages. At least, I think so.  
The chapter starts of fairly light, and while it gets into some heavier content (and definitely NOT FOR KIDS) content later, it still has moments of light-heartedness.  
Even more so (slight spoiler for this chapter alert!), you finally see a major hint of the pairing I'm really going for- this is 'that chapter'. There've been others, of course, so those clever among the (few) people reading this fic will have figured it out, but this is almost definitely the last clue anyone will need. Of course, before you flame me once you've figured it out... I do actually kind of know what I'm doing, and anything 'taboo' in this story is nothing compared to it's progenitor, so I don't really want to hear it- though, of course, constructive criticism is always welcomed with open arms. Enjoy this extra-bonus-length-plus-lemonish-fluff chapter of Late Blossoms II!

**Chap. 10 A moment in the Sun**

The multi-national teams led by Kiba and Hanabi had met up with the support/evac team led by Sakura three days later, on the southern coast of the Land of Rivers, about a day's journey as the ninja travels from Senjouchi. The meeting had been happy, since the first battle of the uprising had been a major victory for the established government and their allies, Suna and Konoha.

After each team had debriefed the others as to their progress, Sakura had sent a slug-message to both Kankuro and Temari's teams asking for a status report, then gave every team but her own- who had yet to engage in actual combat this mission- a mandatory day of R&R. Hanabi's team took the news the best; the mission had been particularly hard for them, since it was their first over D-Rank, either as individuals or as a team, with the exception of their sensei.

The team had, to a member, decided to spend their day at the beach. While she couldn't fault the younger members of her team- Hanabi was only twenty, herself, and not so much older than they- their leader actually only decided to join them so that she could instruct them further, all under the guise of 'having fun'.  
She was actually slightly relieved for herself, as well. While she had not once dreamed of _enjoying_ being a sensei, being responsible for three young teenagers with what many civilians considered super-human abilities, the young Hyuuga was almost positive that the two lovebirds on her team would (mostly) behave themselves on a public beach. And if not, well... she thought she had done a decent job of reminding them that, on leave or not, they were still on a mission, and their behavior reflected on Hanabi- and all of Konoha.

So it was, that when she watched Kinyue make a few final adjustments to her just-purchased (with an advance on payment provided by Hanabi, under threat of the most horrible training she could devise if it was not paid back promptly) swimsuit before heading outside of the surprisingly-mildewy changing room provided for just that purpose, and then followed a few steps behind her, still tugging on her own relatively modest one-piece.

A flash of inspiration led to a silent and nearly chakra pulse-less activation of her family dojutsu. It was no secret that even Toride thought that his female classmate was pretty, while she was certain that Kenkei would flush with excitement when the young kunoichi, finally beginning to truly bud since their departure from Konoha more than three months ago, walked out into the sun wearing her (slightly padded) bikini.

The Jonin was somewhat shocked, therefor, to see _both_ of the male Genin's eyes leave Kinyue to examine her own, more developed, figure.  
"What?" she asked sharply, generously giving them both a good three seconds to ogle her- more than kind, in her opinion.  
Kenkei looked away at once, stifling a cough, while Kinyue had the decency to shoot their sensei an embarrassed, apologetic look. _Got to have a talk with her later about 'boys being boys', I guess. 'least she doesn't seem to be jealous- not like I've got Tsunade- or Nii-chan sized hooters to be jealous _of_, but more than her... for now, at least._

She was so distracted by that thought, though, that it was several moments more before she realized that Toride was, in fact, still getting quite an eyeful of his sensei. In fact, unless Hanabi was much mistaken, that was a faint trickle of blood coming out of his nose...

"All right, brats," she said, startling her male teammates out of their admiration, _And just what about me are they admiring, anyway? Not like I'm anything special._ "You have two hours to go play your own way, until it warms up. At noon we'll have lunch, and then, we're going to be doing a team-building exercise, and it'll probably last all afternoon, so don't wear yourselves out too much."

"But Sensei," Toride spoke up, surprising her a bit, "Uzumaki-sama said we should take the day off and relax. How come we're training?"

Hanabi's face twisted evilly, "We _are_ going to be relaxing- sort of. But if your Hokage trains to relax, then you can too. Unless, of course, you don't _want_ to be strong, then you can slack off like those other losers."  
The Jonin pointed toward the huddle of other ninja, who were talking amongst themselves on the beach. Not one had, so far, gone into the water as far as she could tell. _Who cares if it's cold? It's the ocean- it'll warm up, now that the sun's up._ "So go have fun- by my guess, you have two and a half hours before noon."

The Genin each gave a salute, and then began dashing toward the water. Kinyue and Kenkei's hands found each other quickly as they laughed, but Hanabi was further surprised to see that Toride ran right alongside them, and neither the couple nor he seemed at all ready to separate, either to be alone or to join the other ninja who were probably gossiping like school girls, if Hanabi knew Kiba at all.  
"Hmph, may as well go relax myself, for a bit," she muttered, then moved to just above the high tide line, and set up a recently-purchased beach towel, a picnic basket (loaded), and a small umbrella to begin working on a tan.

"Ooh," Hanabi groaned about an hour later, "son of a bitch... I knew I forgot something!"

The young couple on her team tried very hard to hold back their amused smirks, but Toride seemed more concerned. "Sensei... how come you didn't at least notice the first time you rolled over?"

Hanabi glared at him, making him quail, before replying- "I didn't roll over at all. I fell asleep- damned glad for it, too- the last thing I need is to be sunburned all over my front, too."

At that, Kenkei and Kinyue lost control and began to laugh uproariously, drawing the attention of the still-gossiping crowd nearby.  
Just as Kiba began to open his mouth to make some asinine comment, there was a bright flash of light, causing Hanabi to freeze in horror. "If I ever see or hear so much as a peep of that picture going around Konoha, I'll personally inject it into the gray matter of the person I find out took it. It had better not make it off this beach in one piece."

There were several seconds of awkward silence before the normally very polite and gentle Rock Li moved, blushing furiously, out of the crowd to hand her an already-developing Polaroid. As soon as it touched her hand, the picture flashed into a green-purple fire as the chemicals within ignited.

Unfortunately, the look of loathing she was sending toward Gai's son did not seem to be effective, since, with a mischievous grin, he snapped two more pictures in quick succession- one of her profile and one of her back- before tearing off down the beach, laughing hilariously.

Hanabi tried to stand, but admitted defeat before she was half way up as the pain in her red back spiked. "Someone- damn it, someone kill him for me. And get those pictures back!"  
But no one moved, aside to stifle their own laughter.

It had been awkward to finish preparing and setting up her team's lunch without moving out of the small patch of shade provided by her umbrella, but Hanabi had managed, and now they were scarfing down sandwiches. Hanabi was growing amused even as she suffered, due to the hardly-restrained laughter at her expense dancing in the eyes of her students, and in a different way, by the way her 'lone wolf's eyes kept roving up and down her legs. _It's sweet, in a way. I feel bad for the __kid, though. I suppose every boy gets a crush on an older woman now and then, but still. To have the hots for your Sensei? Maybe I should ask Kiba-san to- no, wait, baaaaad idea, Hanabi. Maybe Kamisori, or Naruto-sama. Not Kiba. No, _bad_ idea. In fact, maybe I should ask Inoko-chan. She's the psychologist._  
"All right, so here's the deal. Kiba-san and I have put together a little tournament for all of the teams here. That's our team-building exercise- though the others probably haven't figured out that it's training, yet."

The others looked up, forcing Hanabi to hold back a grin from breaking out when she noticed Toride almost literally tearing his eyes from the curve of the swimsuit around her buttocks to her face. "Sensei?"

Turning to face Kinyue, she continued, "Volleyball. Beach Volleyball, to be exact. You've all at least heard of the sport?"

The Konoha natives nodded. While not near water, the east coast of Konoha near Wave was warm enough and close enough that during the summer months, many families took vacations there. Toride, though, shook his head.  
With a sigh, Hanabi explained the rules quickly, making sure he understood, and then motioned to where Kiba and Bento were setting up a pair of poles with the net between them, and Usagi Kenjiro, the thin boy on their team, was keeping the volleyball in the air almost solely by bouncing it off his head, only occasionally needing to resort to using his hands or feet. The other member of their team, Naomasa Ii, was watching wide-eyed at the other's dexterity. That was something Hanabi was amused by- she had seen the larger boy practicing with his spear the day before, and his own grace and athleticism were quite impressive. Perhaps he didn't have the balance and control to do that with a ball, but his ability with the long pole was similar.

A few minutes later, the tournament rules had been announced, and the teams were ready to go- each squad would be playing against each other, with the most overall wins getting bragging rights, and a twenty-ryo pot (each team contributed a few ryo) to be divided amongst themselves. The first match-up would be Team Hokage vs Team Sakura. Hanabi smiled- their rivalry was well-known in Konoha.

Still breathless, even fifteen minutes after their third and final game, Hanabi's Genin were disgruntled, something she didn't think should be allowed when they were required to get 'rest and relaxation'. "All right, brats- what's the problem? So you didn't win- you still made it further than Kiba's team. They lost their chance to win after _two_ games- you made it three."

None of them responded, but she hadn't really expected them to. "You think I'm disappointed?"

Again, there was no response, though Toride's shoulders twitched. None of them were even looking at her, instead they were sitting- Kenkei and Toride with their knees held against their chests and Kinyue cross-legged between them, all staring out over the ocean, with the afternoon sun lighting their right sides as Hanabi stood behind them.  
"Well, you can get over that right now- I'm hardly disappointed. You did very well in your training today."

Again, nothing. With a sigh, Hanabi dropped down to sit cross-legged herself, right behind Kinyue. "So now you just don't believe me. I gotcha. Well... what do you think today's lesson was? Let's start there."

There was silence, but their postures shifted in subtle ways that let Hanabi know they were listening. As they thought, Sakura walked up behind them and whispered something to Hanabi, who nodded. In a moment, she gave a great sigh of relief as Sakura began working her medical miracle jutsu on Hanabi's still-burning back.  
"Is- you just wanted us to get some physical training- a workout- done in the heat, didn't you, Sensei?" Kenkei asked, his voice unsure.  
Hanabi smiled ruefully- he was almost always right, but not this time. "Well, I guess that's one way to look at it, but I really didn't even think of it. No, I wanted you to learn something else. Anyone else want to take a stab at it?"

Neither spoke, until Sakura, finished removing the sunburn from Hanabi's back, asked softly if she could answer for them. The Hyuuga thought for a moment, then nodded.  
The rosette took a moment, then spoke just loud enough for the Genin to hear, "When my team- Team Seven- was first formed, I hated Naruto. I was desperately in love with Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto was in love with me, and Sasuke hated us both. We weren't friends- I don't think I even loved Sasuke, it was more like an obsession. It took us a long time to learn the lesson that Hanabi's trying to teach you, but I think you've figured it out- you just don't want to admit it."

Now, Hanabi was growing both amused and frustrated with her Genin's body language- she was sure that the more experienced Jonin was right. Her team _had_ all figured it out, but none of them had the balls to admit it. "Fine, if you three want to keep lying to yourselves just 'cause you haven't got the guts, be that way. I can't force you to admit something like this, and it wouldn't do any good if I could. You have to suck it up and do it for yourself, and for your team, not for me. But... just think about this. If you met someone who you got along with, who you quite liked overall, but he or she didn't seem to like being around you, how would that make you feel?  
"Even more, think about what it would feel like if that person then came to you and said, 'I think we're friends. I want to be friends. Are we?' That, right there- that's the difference having the guts to speak up would make."

Smiling to each other quietly, Sakura and Hanabi stood and moved away without a word, leaving the three Genin to sit in silence- or maybe, just maybe, to prove they were growing up and admit what Hanabi had seen happening since before they'd arrived in Yuki- the bonds of friendship had, indeed, taken root in her team.

For the remainder of day, Hanabi's Genin were off to the side, talking in low voices to each other. There wasn't any laughter, but although she was certain she saw tears glistening in each of their eyes at one point or another, none of them had left the trio. _Finally opening up to each other. Your teamwork lessons are complete, kiddos. You could use some polish, sure, but I've taught you all I can- now you just have to teach yourselves what it means to be nakama._

The other teams had, for the most part, drifted off singly or in pairs, until Hanabi's was the last team on the beach to watch the sun go down right between the ocean and land. As she left, Sakura had murmured, "Don't let them stay out too late. I got word from Temari-san that they're having a hard time holding back the shinobi on the other river. She was actually surprised they were able to give us this day, they got lucky when a big storm grounded the barges for a day and a half. They should be in Senjouchi by noon tomorrow, and it'll... well, I don't need to tell you what that means."  
Hanabi nodded. "Nope. I'll make sure they're asleep before midnight. Can't promise more than that- stupid teenagers."

Sakura gave a sad smile, "Weren't we teenagers not so long ago? Sometimes I think we still are- your sister and Naruto are _insatiable_, I don't know how I keep up with them- cuts into my sleep a lot. It's almost nice to have a mission like this, just so I have an excuse to sleep for more than four hours a night!"

Hanabi's face turned as red as her back had been earlier, as Sakura walked away with a wave and a laugh.

"All right, kids," she called about an hour later, "that's enough, I think. Sure, the stars are pretty, but we've got a big day tomorrow. Time to head in."

All three grumbled, but headed toward the showers. The campsite they were staying at was outside town, and none wanted to travel that far with salt and sand 'everywhere', especially not Hanabi and Kinyue.

When Hanabi arrived back at camp, she was surprised to see the couple on her team sitting rather close to each other- Kinyue perched on Kenkei's lap- but said nothing. She trusted Sakura and Kiba, at least, to keep their behavior from going too far, and it was hard to reprimand them without commenting on Kamisori, who was apparently so keen to show Tenchi his affection that he'd stolen her dinner and was feeding it to her spoon by spoon full. Hanabi glanced around, "Toride not back yet?"  
Inoko, the only one she really counted on to pay attention despite Sakura and Kiba's greater experience, shook her head. "Nope. Thought he'd be coming back with you- those two got here just a minute ago."

Hanabi nodded. "Guess I'll go check it out, then. Hope he didn't just get lost- he doesn't have the best sense of direction, but we aren't exactly far out of town, so..."  
Inoko made to rise, but Hanabi gestured her back down, "Don't worry about it. Aside from the games, I've been resting all day, so I've got plenty of chakra to keep my Byakugan up for several hours and still be fine tomorrow."

She hadn't meant it that way, but there was still a sudden thrill of nervous tension around the relaxed campfire when Hanabi moved back into the woods. _Sorry, guys. Didn't mean to ruin your mood._

"Tori?"

Silence. Activating her dojutsu, Hanabi quickly scanned the beach- there was no one. The town wasn't large, so although the beach was prime as far as she was concerned, it likely didn't see much activity during the winter months, though it had been pleasant enough temperature-wise as far as Hanabi was concerned. _Then again, I did just come off of two months in Yuki..._

Now slightly concerned, Hanabi turned to head toward the showers- if he wasn't there, she'd have to search the path between the village and campground carefully, and then get help to check the town itself.  
Once she reached the long, low brick building, she listened at the doorway- there was no door, only a passage that bent back on itself with the universal 'male' sign hanging on one wall- she sent a sliver of chakra to her ears. As cruel as she could be, it just didn't seem right to activate her Byakugan to watch him shower- if he was, indeed, in there.

She could hear one shower running quite easily, she'd noted that even before heightening her senses. There... that might be breathing. It was hard to tell over the shower, but something rhythmic. It was faster than regular, so she couldn't quite be sure...

And then, almost as if he was standing next to her, she heard Toride's voice grunt out, "Hanabi-sensei!" almost as if he was in agony.

_Shit!_  
Without another thought to propriety or caution, the young Jonin hurled herself around the passage, drawing a kunai from her weapon pouch as she went.

And froze.

_Oh, son of a demon-fish-what-the-hell-is-he-why-am-I-just-standing-oh-Kami-get-out-of-here-Hanabi-before-he-sees-and-wow-he's-pretty-no-don't-think-about-but-holy-no-no-no-no-NO!_

However, as much as the kunoichi tried to force herself to flee- preferably in silence so that he never noticed her presence- part of her just could not tear her eyes away from his hand as it slid up and down his engorged penis, while his other hand held his weight off the brick wall as he stood under the spray.

_He almost looks like he's in pain..._

"Ha- Hanabi- S-s-Sensei!" he groaned, louder than he had before, and then shuddered with release, before sliding to his knees, still underneath the spray.  
Still, Hanabi couldn't move, barely registered that the hand holding her kunai had fallen to her side, and that her fingers were slowly growing more slack as her student panted with exertion.

However, when that kunai hit the floor, both of them came back to themselves with a speed only ninja can.

Toride, to both his own and Hanabi's credit, assumed a fighting stance facing his sensei at once, while Hanabi's face turned red again and her body seemed to seize from sheer embarrassment.

"S- Sensei!" Toride forced out, before whirling around in an attempt to cover himself. Distantly, Hanabi found herself wishing that there were partitions like the women's showers had for the boy to hide behind, before pulling on all of her training to bend down and retrieve her kunai and turning around.  
"I'm not looking, Toride. You can get dressed."

The shower shut off, and she heard his wet feet cross from the wall with the showers to the wall holding mostly-empty shelves and clothing hooks. There was a minute's rustling, before Toride took a deep breath and said, "Sorry, Sensei. I couldn't... I couldn't help it. All day I just... I couldn't take it, any more."

A little puzzled, Hanabi didn't respond for a while. Not being male herself, it took longer than it might have to figure out what, exactly, he had meant. "Don't- don't worry about it, Toride," she said at last, "I've been told pretty much everyone does it. It's not that unusual at all, and I'm not mad at you for it."

"Y- you aren't?"

She shook her head, "Not a bit. You're just proving yourself a healthy young man... right?"

There was silence aside from what she was sure was the horribly-embarrassed young man pulling his mesh undershirt on, before he replied, "I... I guess. So you... you aren't mad about... about what I said?"

Confused further still, Hanabi could only shake her head. "All I heard was you calling my name. I'm not even sure it was me- I guess part of me thought you must know I was there, that's half the reason I... I stood there so long. I couldn't get my brain around you doing that even though I was watching."

_Kami, I hope he can't tell I'm lying..._

She heard his gulp, and then another slide of cloth over cloth- probably his t-shirt covering the mesh. "So... you... don't mind? Or at least, you don't hate me for thinking of... about... well, when I was... it doesn't bother you?"

_Click_. The puzzle suddenly made sense. Without thinking, Hanabi whirled around to stare at her teammate, her nearly-white eyes as wide as they could stretch. "Y- y-y- you were thinking about _me_, while- while you were doing _that_?"

He nodded and turned slowly away, causing Hanabi to notice- even through the combination of feeling both flattered and mortified- that he had not, in fact, dressed anything below his waist, though he was wearing his jacket over the t-shirt.  
"W- well... I didn't... I mean..."  
Toride's shoulders slumped, but he said nothing, merely bent over to grab his underwear where they'd apparently fallen from the shelf.  
"No, I mean... no. It doesn't bother me. I might... I might need some time to get used to the idea, but it's still natural. You're interested in women, and I'm a woman, and... I'm okay with that."

He froze.

"Look, Toride... it's part of my job to make sure that my team... well, knows what's what."

His legs, covered in uneven patches of dark hair that must have only just begun growing in, started to darken with what must have been an incredible blush, but he said nothing, only stepped into his underwear. He had them half pulled up when Hanabi spoke again, finally remembering to turn away again. "I know most parents teach their kids stuff, but... it's my job to make sure you know it. So if you don't... let me know, okay? I know it's hard- believe me, it's not easy for me, either- but if you have questions, I'm here, okay?"

She heard the faintest of, "yes, ma'am"'s, but said nothing further until she was sure he'd dressed. The rustling of clothes, at least, had stopped.

"Listen... I'm going to go back outside. Finish getting dressed, I'll send an albatross to Inoko so she knows what's-"

"No!"

The desperation in his voice was so severe, Hanabi almost turned around to look again, but caught herself half way. "No... I don't want her to-"

A sly grin stole over Hanabi's face, and she couldn't help, despite knowing how painful it might be for him, but ask, "Why... got a bit of a crush for our Black-on-blonde?"

She didn't need to see his skin to know she'd touched a nerve.  
"Damn... sorry, Tori'... that was uncalled for. I apologize. She's quite pretty, though, so I understand."

He was silent for a long time, but eventually, Hanabi forced herself to move. "Fine, I at least need to send a message- to Kiba- that I've found you and we're talking. He'll know what I mean- he's probably going through the same thing with his team. At least he shares a gender with all of 'em... I don't even want to _imagine_ what their 'talks' are like... Four teenagers and an adult who's probably worse than all three of them put together... randy bastard."

Toride forced out a chuckle at Hanabi's attempt to lighten the mood, but muttered "'kay."

After a few minutes, Hanabi felt she needed to call into the shower, "Tori? You okay?"  
He didn't respond, so she cautiously moved inside, wishing she'd done so the first time. She found the Genin sitting with his head in his hands on the dressing bench, still only half-dressed. She thought he might have been crying, but he looked up as she entered, and he seemed more angry than anything. "Sensei- I- I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No, don't worry about-"

"No!" he cried again, "I'm- I'm sorry. I am."

"I told you, I'm okay with-"

"You don't understand!"

She took a deep breath, looked into his eyes as she walked over in front of him and crouched down to his eye level, "Then explain it to me."

He looked away, his face still burning with shame, though she noticed he didn't bother to hide his underwear- something she was sure he'd do. "I... I wasn't thinking about Inoko-san, I was thinking about _you_. My Sensei. It's... it's not right."

Hanabi shrugged. "I don't see why that's such a big deal. I've heard lots of people have a thing for 'Sensei-ai'. Popular fetish, I suppose. I can even see the appeal myself. An older, more experienced woman... not my thing, but I get it."  
His eyes showed a strange combination of relief and an even deeper pain than there had been before. "But- it was _you_, not just 'teacher'. I hurt _you_ by thinking about... when I was..."

"You were masturbating to the thought of me."

He nodded jerkily.  
"Jacking off, whacking the rabbit, waxing the pole, polishing the knob, sliming the snake, beating your meat, beating one off, rubbing one-"  
"Stop it!" he cried, looking her in the eye with a glare.  
Hanabi forced a smile onto her face. "What? Surprised I know the lingo? I'm not a guy, but I have good ears. I hear shit- you should listen to the male Jonin some time, when they think there's no women around. Would it surprise you to know that I do it, sometimes, too?"

His eyes widened.  
"'s true. Not very often- I think I've done it maybe ten times in my life. But when you get the urge... it doesn't go away very easy until you satisfy it, does it?"

There was a faint shake of the boy's head.

"Well... that's why I don't blame you at all. So what if you were thinking of me? Honestly, I'm kind of happy about it. Disturbed, of course, but happy too."

"H- happy?"  
She nodded and looked away, then rose and sat beside him on the bench, stretched her legs out, and folded her hands in her lap, staring at them while she tried to relax. "I'm... I know I'm not exactly a model. I'm not built like Nee-chan, or Ino-sempai, or even Sakura-chan. I actually probably have some big self-esteem issues about it. So... when a guy- even a younger one, who probably checks out _every_ girl- is thinking about me, it's a bit of an ego boost... you know?"

At first, he shook his head, but before he made a full rotation, he muttered, "I guess."

Hanabi patted his knee and made to rise, but Toride's next words made her freeze in her tracks.  
"So... do you think we can have that talk, now?"

Hanabi didn't think there was any part of her soul that didn't cringe at the very thought.

"And... that's how it's done. Most men can't tell when a woman has an orgasm- they just aren't sensitive enough to feel the vibrations- although most of them will tell you they can. I trust Tsunade-sama and Sakura-chan's input as doctors than a man's input- the men have a bigger ego to defend, after all."  
She said the last part with a smile, remembering back to Hinata's discussion about it with her several years ago, when Hanabi had first confessed that she was no longer a virgin to her sister.

"So... just about every girl can tell when the guy's done. You said they can feel the heat, but... we can't tell when the girl is?"

She shook her head. "I've heard of a few that can tell. Apparently, Hokage-sama is one."  
A part of the Jonin was a little leery of giving away details of her brother-in-law's sex life to a Genin, but as she'd learned, while they preferred that some things were kept quiet, as with most aspects of their lives, none of the three in their 'unusual' marriage would really mind the information getting out. Like so much else as far as they were concerned, you just had to ask. "Anyway, that doesn't really matter. I hear from most girls that they don't really have a hard time reaching orgasm, as long as the guy they're with treats them right before they get down to it."

"So... all that stuff about their... b- br-"

"Breasts, yes, and the other things, too."

He nodded, red-faced and looking down at his hands, just as Hanabi was. She was actually surprised- once they'd gotten started, she'd found the discussion, which she had kept as professional and mechanics-oriented as possible while still teaching the boy skills she thought every male should know, surprisingly easy. He, though, had not yet been able to get over the initial embarrassment- it had, if anything, gotten worse, and she could see that his hands had been placed to carefully hide the bulge in his underwear- he still hadn't gotten around to putting on his pants.

"Any questions?" she asked, trying to distract herself from that thought. She hadn't gotten a good look, before, just a glance, really, but she'd found herself having to fight to keep from _asking_ the poor kid if she could see- and wouldn't _that_ go over well in her mission report- she'd have to describe this entire scene as part of his post-action psych eval.

"No... well, I do have one, but I can't ask you."

"... why not?"

"It's... just _you_. You're my Sensei, and it wouldn't be right."

Unfortunately for the boy, Hanabi had finally begun to read his subconscious clues. "You aren't sure exactly what I was describing, are you?"

He shook his head, staring fixedly at the shower wall opposite him, which now had a faint yellow spot with lines tracking down it.  
Hanabi snorted, unable to stop herself. "You're fourteen, and you've never seen a girl naked? No porn, either?"

He shook his head. "Where'm I going to get porn? I don't have any friends. Well... I didn't until today. And I doubt Kenkei's going to share his snapshots of Kinyue. I wouldn't want to see her, really, anyway. She's more like my sister than anything else. My mom? _Eww_."

Hanabi sighed. "Well... I can get you some when we get back to Konoha, I guess. Kami, I can't believe I even said that!" She buried her head in her own hands, forcing out a laugh, "I just offered to buy a fourteen year old kid some porn... and implied I'd explain it in detail to him!"

Then she had a flash of inspiration. "But wait... Sakura-chan! She probably has at least a book on anatomy, or if not her, then Soren-chan- she's a beginner medic!"

Toride paled in horror.

"Oh... yeah, I can see why you wouldn't want me to ask either of them. They're sharp enough to put two and two together. And if you brought porn home... your parents would find out- they always do- remind me never to tell you about _that_ conversation with my father! So that's not really an option either, is it? I get that they're pretty strict."

He nodded, still refusing to look away from the opposite wall, where evidence of his previous activity still hung, though it had mostly dried by now. "Benefits of coming from Iwa- we have to prove we're worthy of being here, so we have to appear perfect. Or so they tell me."

Hanabi nodded, "I know what that's like. Being a Hyuuga's no picnic, either. So... we really only have one option, since I don't have any porn at home, either, and I'm _not_ asking anyone else for any when it could get back to Nee-chan or my father- even if it's for a 'good cause'."

She stood up, brushed her rear off (she had no idea how many filthy men had sat on the bench since it had been cleaned last, and she didn't _want_ to know), and then stood a few steps away, direclty in front of Toride, coincidentally blocking his view of the shower.  
"Well, I hope you're happy- I'm sure you'll have plenty to think about next time you 'get the urge'..."

His eyes widened considerably, and kept stretching, as she slipped the sleeves of her swim-suit off and pulled it down without ceremony.

"These are the nipples, the dark spots surrounding them are the areolae..."

When the impromptu anatomy lesson had ended, Hanabi was, once again, horribly embarrassed, though she kept her face and chest from coloring with a monumental effort. "So, hopefully that'll help you make sense of what we discussed before..."

She trailed off. His eyes were still extremely wide, but his hands had, almost certainly subconsciously, begun to twitch in such a way that a few fingertips were sliding along the rather large bulge in his underwear. _Kid's got some stamina, that's for sure. At least once in the shower- probably more than twice, judging by the time spent, and ready for another round already! Benefits to being a teen boy, I suppose._ "So... yeah, then I'll just get dressed, and meet you outside."

He nodded, distantly, and Hanabi lost the battle to keep herself from blushing when she noticed his eyes tracking the sway of her breasts as she bent to retrieve her swimsuit- this was worse than pulling apart the folds of her sex to explain- in detail- the workings of each part. _At least he was a good audience... though I suppose, for a fourteen-year-old, it was a hell of a show._

All embarrassment aside, Hanabi was not terribly surprised to hear him panting- slightly muffled by _another_ shower- a few moments after she stepped outside. Truth be told, she could use some...

Without a conscious thought beyond that, her Byakugan activated. _No one within sight. It's late, probably past midnight. Fuck it._ Her left hand slid up to pinch one nipple, the other slid between her legs and began to work in furious circles. _Have to get off before he does so he doesn't see me. Have to..._ Unbidden, the image of her young teammate, undoubtedly working his own member furiously to thoughts of his naked sensei standing in front of him and opening her legs, or touching herself to explain everything, sprang into her mind.  
She was unable- or, if she was honest with herself, unwilling- to push that thought away, until she brought herself to a thundering, gasping climax.

Panting, she listened at the door again to hear him begin to dress, his own breath coming in exhausted heaves. "Tori, I've gotta piss. I'll... I'll be right back!"

There wasn't a response, though she heard him gasp for a moment when she spoke. _Probably forgot I was there in the 'heat of the moment'_... _Kami, not like I'm any better!_

Two minutes of frantically wiping the inside of her swimsuit in the sink to wash away the smell of her juices and a hurried second or ten of dressing later, the kunoichi walked out of the women's changing room to see Toride leaning against the wall of the men's showers in a would-be-casual pose. He watched her walk, face only coloring slightly, then fell into step beside her, face watching the ground intently.

About half way back to the camp, he muttered a final "Sorry, I couldn't help it. You're just so..."

A few more pieces to the puzzle that was Ioka Toride fell into place in Hanabi's mind.  
_Oh Kami in Tengoku. He... he really was only mad at himself because it was_ me_, not... not just because I'm his Sensei. Why he was so embarassed back in Yuki when he was chewing on my... and why he watched so closely when I was naked, and... oh Kami. What am I going to _do_? I can't just __take him off the team! But it's gotta be _torture_ for the kid to be around me all the time, if he's got it this bad. For fuck sakes... I don't even know if _I_ could handle it!_

They were still several hundred yards from being able to spot the low campfire when she put a hand on his arm and pulled him to a stop. "Toride, I need to talk to you, too."

He looked at her quizzically, but with a growing sense of apprehension. "Y- yes, Sensei?"  
She looked away toward the camp, then back the way they'd come, before staring into his eyes, which were shining in the thin starlight coming through the trees, "Would you be embarrassed if I told anyone, _ever_, about this... er... this _conversation_, we just had?"  
He nodded, darkening visibly even in the weak light.  
"Well... so would I. So as far as anyone's concerned, it _never happened_, right?"

Another nod.  
"Good. Now... I have to put down a note that we had this 'conversation' in the mission report. But I'm omitting any details, okay? We don't need to discuss how far it went, or what happened after, okay? No one knows but us, and it'll stay that way."  
He nodded, again visibly relieved.  
"Oh, and Tori..." he froze again a half-step away from her, "it's not going to happen again. I'm sorry for letting it go that far already, but you needed to understand what I was talking about. It's... call it part of your resistance training."

He nodded again, and the two resumed an at least semi-comfortable silence as they walked through the forests of River country.

**A/N2:** Well, I hope you enjoyed it, but I have one final piece of good news: I'm not done yet.  
In fact, as we speak, I'm trying to rush this AN along so I can get back to working on the story. I was going to put in another major scene here (about Hanabi's past in the last few years), but figure it'll work better after the battle which should take up only a small part of the next chapter. This conflict has taken too long, anyway- it's really only a precursor to the main battles anyway, so... time to move on to character development and growth in a big way.

With any luck, I'll have the next chapter done within a few hours (or at least today), and post it immediately. You might get two extra-long chapters in one day!  
Also, I want to send out a huge thanks to everyone who's reviewed (or even read) this story. I know it's not nearly as popular as LB1 was (and still is, it gets over 1k hits a month easy, more than a year after completion, while this story is lucky to get 200), but...

I want more. I know it sounds needy, and that I'm begging, but I promise I don't mean it that way. I just think it's a little unfair that this story, while it's not as 'lemony' (so far) as LB1 was, has such a small readership in comparison when it is, in my opinion at least, both better told and a better story all together. So- review, please! Get your friends to read it! (It might not hurt to read LB1 first, though, since it IS AU after Pain's attack on Konoha, which was the current Manga chapter when I started writing that one- hard to believe that was more than a year ago, ne?) And then beg them to review too, please. :)

Till next time- hopefully soon!


	11. Chapter 11: Battle's end, trouble begins

**A/N:** I appear to be on a roll! Two chapters in a day, 10 pages in the first and 7 more in the second? That's pretty unusual for me. Lol  
Now if only FF(dot)net would load pages so I could upload it...

This is a bit more of the combat, but mostly a character-development chapter, mostly focusing on Hanabi and her (missing) backstory, with a fair bit of Kiba, along with a glimpse of Kinyue and Kenkei's parents... buh duh duh DUUUUH! As well, a worried Hokage and a horrible revelation are made known to our favorite firecracker...

Enjoy! :)

**Chap. 11: Battles' end! Trouble's just begun!**

Chaos. That was the only word for it.

Kenkei had been separated from his team only minutes into the conflict, but he had been lucky enough to meet up with Akimichi Soren from Team Sakura, and two Suna ninja- a shinobi and a kunoichi- he didn't know, but that seemed to be fairly skilled. The kunoichi was currently acting as their squad leader, which made the young Genin satisfied- the Akimichi, while an experienced Chunin herself, was quite happy to take the orders of the Jonin kunoichi, so he didn't see any need to argue, either.  
In fact, the woman had saved each of their lives at least once in the last... however long it had been.

He was able to track how many buildings they had cleared as they swept through the streets of Senjouchi Gai, but had long since lost track of each individual conflict.  
Instead, they were simply a blur of violence and blood. Looking back to a few days ago, he was horrified at himself for being annoyed that he hadn't yet killed anyone. Now... now there were so many that he was horrified at his own lack of emotion about it. But he knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the numb feeling he was enjoying now would wear off. He only prayed that his team would be there to help him when it was all over... even Toride's gruff conversation would be helpful.

A parry, a feint, and a thrust later, then the rogue ninja- probably not even an Academy graduate, since he wasn't wearing a hitai-ate but had some chakra-usage skills- fell to Kenkei's borrowed kodachi. His own weapon pouch had long since run dry, but Matsuri- the Jonin leading their current squad- had pulled several spare weapons out of a sealing scroll and told him to take his pick when she noticed he was out.

"Come on," the ginger-haired kunoichi said, gesturing for the squad to move, "two more buildings on this street, then we can go reinforce one of the other teams- whoever needs help the most."

Several hours of bloody violence later, Hanabi allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. There, walking out of the smoke surrounding a quarter of Senjouchi that had been set almost entirely ablaze, was Soren and Kenkei, with Matsuri behind them. All three were heavily wounded, though none of those seemed to be life threatening. Minor cuts, abrasions, and burns- along with likely damage from smoke inhalation- seemed to be the worst of it, though each was practically coated in crimson. "Glad you made it out," she said, giving a relieved look to her teammate, "head on over to the medic's tent- that one-" she said gesturing behind her to a hastily thrown-together pavilion where Sakura was easily seen, "then come give me your report. Matsuri-chan, you holding up okay for a minute? You can give me yours now, if you want- Temari-sama wanted me to take them all to her later."

The ginger-haired kunoichi nodded, motioning for her companions to obey Hanabi's instructions, then began to relay their tale.

In the makeshift infirmary, Kenkei nearly cried with relief when he saw Kinyue carrying bandages and a pail of water- tinged in red- for one of the River combat medics. Her arm was in a sling, but the bandage on it was small and no red had come through, so he knew she was all right. He was a little more bothered when he passed Toride, who appeared to be unconscious with several still-bleeding head wounds, almost as if a great cat had attempted to tear his scalp off. There was no nurse or medic attending to him, though, so Kinyue took a deep breath and continued on. _He's going to make it- he wouldn't be bleeding if he was dead, but there'd be people working on him if he was in urgent need of care. Uzumaki-sama wouldn't just let him bleed out._

To his dismay, though, comfort wouldn't be coming from his girlfriend any time soon. As soon as he reached her, Kinyue gave him a wane smile, then pushed the pail toward him with her less-injured hand. "We need clean water. It's from a tap over there- just dump that out when you get there. Hurry, we're really far behind."

Slightly dazed, he nodded, but didn't even think to disobey, since the medic Kinyue had been following was already asking for the girl's help in bandaging a heavily-wounded River shinobi, muttering about the possibility of infection and losing the leg.

"He's definitely in shock- probably has been since the fight started, even before I met up with him. He's going to need some psych help when you get back to Konoha, maybe before."

The strain was showing visibly on Hanabi's face, which actually relieved her friend from Suna.  
"Listen, Hanabi, he'll be okay. All your kids will. He just needs some time and some help. This was a pretty big battle for fresh Genin to get thrown into, but with his team and his friends, he'll be fine. You just have to have some faith in him, just like he has faith in you."

Hanabi nodded, not even really listening to her friend's words. "Matsuri- thanks for your report. There's a couple more I need to get, then I'll go talk to Temari-sama. Anything else you need to add? Suggestions for the clean-up?"

She shook her head sadly, gave Hanabi's shoulder a slight squeeze, and then slid around her through the crowd to the infirmary.

Six days later, the Konoha ninja, minus Tenchi, Li, and Kamisori, who had been asked to stay to assist in policing the city until the government was restored, were half way back to Konoha.  
It was the first night that Hanabi could remember her squad sleeping past midnight before being woken by nightmares.  
She had been worried when she'd checked on Kinyue and Kenkei two days after the battle to find them mid-coitus, _At least I was smart enough to check the the Byakugan this time..._, but had not talked to them about it. In the end, she knew, there would be nothing she could do. If she were honest with herself, she was surprised that the two teens had lasted this long. While they were both young- Kenkei had just turned thirteen the day before- they were adults in the eyes of the village, and... they had _needed_ each other, so desperately, that she couldn't bring herself to even be annoyed by it. In a way, she was glad they had found each other. She wasn't sure their love would last, but for now at least, the two were happy with each other, and she couldn't fault them for it.

They had taken to sharing a tent, but no one had objected- Toride had simply started sleeping in her own instead of Kenkei's, which, although it was awkward for them both, neither had complained about.

However, Hanabi was about to learn that someone _did_, in fact, have a problem with it- and that someone was the person she least expected to have any issue with it.  
"Hanabi-san," Kiba said from across the fire, while poking it with a stick, "How come you let your team... well, get into the things they do?"

Hanabi had been surprised when he spoke- Kiba's watches were usually spent in silence, mulling over the day- he used the time to make sense of things he didn't bother to think too much about while distractions were ocuring- but more surprised by the question itself. "What do you mean?"

His eyes flicked toward the tent shared by the young couple she'd just been thinking about. "Oh... well, they're adults. I can't legally stop them. I don't have to like it, but there's nothing I can do. And..."

His eyes brows raised while his brown eyes darkened with anger, but he said nothing, waiting for her to continue.  
"And they need each other."

He gave a low growl. "Like... you?"

She turned a little pink, looked away into the trees, and then back at him before answering, "Yes. Pretty much exactly like me."  
He nodded before turning his eyes back to the fire. His face was still very tense. "I really loved your sister, you know."

She nodded. "I know."

"It was kind of cruel, what you did."

That confused her. "W- what I did?"

He nodded. "You used me, used my pain over losing your sister to satisfy your own needs."

Suddenly incensed, Hanabi threw herself to her feet, growling almost lower than he did when truly angry, "_I_ used _you_? I was _thirteen_, damn it! You were almost nineteen! What the hell- how do you think I used you? If anything, it was you using _me_ to get over your pain!"

Like she had moments before, he jumped to his feet, "Fuck yes, you used me! You wanted to get over Konohamaru, you wanted to not be a prissy little virgin, you wanted to be so grown up! All I wanted... all I wanted was to be loved. Instead, you took everything I gave you, and you _walked away_."

He sat back down, collapsed, really, onto the log as he said the last two words, which she could barely hear over the low-banked campfire.

Distantly, Hanabi heard the rustle that meant they'd at least partially awoken one of their companions with their yelling, so her reply was soft- softer than she'd intended.

"I... you're right. I'm sorry. I guess I _did_ use you... I didn't mean to. I didn't want to hurt you, not ever. You were my sister's best friend back then, and I just hoped... I hoped you'd come to care about me like you did her. So when... after that night, you went along like you had before, mooning after Nee-chan..."

Kiba's eyes glistened in the flickering orange light, but he refused to meet her gaze as she sat back down herself. "You... you don't need to apologize. I... I guess I used you, too. To forget, yeah, but also... I was a horn-dog back then, and any girl who seemed even a little interested... I never even stopped to think about what that'd do to you. So... I'm sorry."

Hanabi shrugged. "Don't be. I've never regretted it, not once."

He looked up then. "Wh- what?"

She met his eyes this time, "I don't. I regret what happened _after_, but not that night. It hurt like a bitch, but you treated me pretty good. I've heard a lot of horror stories about the first time... but you did pretty good. I was actually pretty amazed, since at the time I thought it was your first time, too."

She almost didn't hear his murmured, "It was."

"W- huh?"_Wow, real intelligent response there, Hanabi._

"I hadn't... before. I dated a lot, but you were the first one I... got that far with."

She leaned back, almost like that small tidbit of information had been a physical blow. "R- really?"

He nodded, turning a little pink, "I was... saving myself for Hinata-chan. And you were just so much like her when I saw you that night... all stuttering and nervous, just like she was back when I fell for her... I couldn't say no."

"You still love her, don't you?"

He thought for a moment, harder than she thought she'd ever seen him do it before, then shook his head. "No... if I love any girl right now, it's probably you... but don't worry, I don't think I'm in love with you, either."

A part of was flattered- the same part that enjoyed knowing what Toride thought of her- but the rest clenched in sympathetic pain for her former friend and lover. "I... I don't know what to say."

He shrugged now, "Don't say anything. It won't change the way I feel anyway- I guess I just wanted to get it off my chest, to get it out in the open and acknowledge it. Maybe it'll be easier, now."

She nodded, understanding that feeling quite well. "Me too. I'm... glad we got to talk about this. It's been way too long."

He smiled, "More than six years. Time flies, huh?"

She nodded. "So... no one? No girl's been more than a passing fling to you since Hinata and me, huh?"

He shook his head. "Nope. There was one girl, but... I figured out pretty quick that it was a mistake."

"Who?"

He looked like he didn't want to answer, but spit it out anyway, "One of your cousins. I forget her name, now. I think it was just the eyes- but she reminded me _too_ much of you both, and I couldn't take it. I broke up with her fast, and... I wasn't very nice about it. My worst hour, really."

"Oh, Nene-kun... yeah, she was pretty messed up. She joined the monastary, you know."

His eyes widened, then he glared when he saw her half-muffled laugh forming. "You're a bitch, you know that?"

She nodded. "Yep. Hear it all the time from my team."

A few minutes passed in silence, until Kiba spoke again, "So... you and Toride came back awfully late from the beach, and you both smelled of sex. You going after the younger ones, now?"

It was all Hanabi could do not to jump across the fire and throttle him right there. However, she was able to growl out, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He rolled his dark eyes, "Come on... you think I don't know what I'm talking about? Really? Do you have _any _idea how good my nose is? Or my ears? I can put a smell and what I overheard together, you know."

_Click_.

"Oh- that- um- well- that- I-"

His scowl deepened.

"It's not what you think," she said, "We just... I went to check on him, and he was... you know..."

"Busy?"

She flushed uncontrollably, "Yeah... busy. I guess that's _one_ way to say it... he saw me looking, and... we got to talking. His parents never gave him the 'talk', so... being the good sensei I am... we did. Apparently it's hard for a fourteen year old male to have that talk with a woman he thinks is pretty, and he got... excited. So I left him for a few minutes, he came out, and we came back to the camp. What you overheard... that was just my way of telling him I wouldn't rat him out."

Kiba looked quite skeptical. "You _sure_ that's all it meant?"

She nodded, a little worried- that _was_ all she'd meant. Why didn't he believe her?  
"'cause I see the way he looks at you- it's rather familiar, if you know what I mean. I just... look, your team is your business. I just don't want to have to explain to the Hokage why _both_ of the kunoichi on your team turn up pregnant, you know? I don't think you want to do that, either."

Hanabi couldn't suppress a shudder, "No, I don't think I'd enjoy having that conver- _what_? You think I'd... what the hell, Kiba?"

The Inuzuka gave a rueful smirk; he was obviously annoyed but wanted to finish the conversation as soon as possible, "If I can see the way Toride looks at you, I can see the way you look at him, too. It's not like you're keeping it a secret."

Her eyes narrowed as she felt heat rush up into her face. "You... don't have _any_ idea what you're talking about. He's my _student_, Kiba! I'm responsible for his training! Why would I jeopardize that by... by becoming infatuated with him? Even more so, if I did, which I have _not_, why would I compound the problem by acting on it? Do you really think so little of me?"

"No, that's not what I meant, so keep your panties on," he replied, not doing any favors for Hanabi's self control, "I don't think it's really an issue _now_. But I like to think I know you. You bottle things up until you explode- like your name. You would never have come to me that night, not without years of frustration. So what happens when you're around this kid- that you obviously feel a _little_ more for than your average student would- in a couple of years? It's going to be a repeat of us- except you'll be the older one, and he'll be the kid who either doesn't know any better or is too hyped up by the prospect of naughty-time with teacher that he'll agree to anything."

Hanabi scowled deeper yet. "Kiba- I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that. I can't believe you have so little respect for me, that you think I'd allow that to happen. You know what? Tell the Hokage whatever you want- I'll tell him the _truth_. But _you_ can be the one to deal with the fallout when Toride hears that you talked to Naruto about it."

Now it was the shinobi's turn to shudder- Jonin or not, no one wanted to face an angry Genin with that kind of fury to work out.

"Well," the blonde Hokage said slowly after Kiba and Hanabi's teams had given their verbal reports, "I'm pretty impressed overall. I knew you could handle it, but I didn't think it'd be that easy or quick, even with the extra support from Suna. You've all done well." He turned to his pink-haired wife, "Sakura, would you make the treasury aware that you've all earned bonus-C pay on top of your mission pay?" She grinned and nodded, so he continued, "I'll recommend a full post-action psych eval for each of you," Sakura nodded again, "and a week's rest before missions resume- pending the results."

The Genin and Chunin all smiled happily, before their team leaders dismissed them. The group left in a huddle of laughter and hastily-forming plans for wasting all of their hard-earned money during the break in missions.  
Once they were gone, though, Naruto turned a stern eye toward all three of the Jonin on the mission, including his medic wife. "I heard some... issues arose during the mission. Some rather personal ones."

Kiba and Hanabi's eyes both widened, only Sakura kept her face schooled, showing both of the other Jonin who'd been the snitch. Hesitantly, they both nodded, but it was the kunoichi who responded verbally, "Nothing that impacted the mission, Hokage-same," she said, "It was... just dirty laundry that needed to be aired. Personally, I think we're better for it."

Naruto's piercing blue eyes flicked between the two for a moment, then he gave a quick nod. "All right, I'm going to trust your judgment. I was a little shocked to learn the details, but it's not my business- as long as it won't impact missions or your ability to work together in future, I'm fine with whatever. Just... be nice to each other, okay?"

Kiba and Hanabi both sighed with released tension, agreed casually, and moved to leave the office when they were called back by Hinata's quiet cough.  
After they'd turned back toward her standing beside Naruto, he resumed speaking, though this time his tone was decidedly less stern-leader and more worried-leader. "I have a sneaking suspicion that the activity in River was just a warm-up. I'm not sure yet exactly what's going on, but it's something big. Keep your ears and eyes open, would you?"  
The Jonin nodded, then all three left- but not before Sakura moved around the desk to give both of her much-missed spouses a quick embrace and a muttered, "I'll see you both tonight."

_If there's a duty as Sensei that I want to do the least, this is it._

_I hate this job._

_Why me, anyway? What did I do to deserve this?_

These were the thoughts of Hyuuga Hanabi, recently-promoted Jonin-Sensei, as she sat in the living room of Gendo Namaki and Kushini, along with their other guests, Shiba Tetsu and Shiba Amera, two days after the team's return from Kawa no Kuni, the Land of Rivers.

"So, Hyuuga-sama... I'm still a bit confused. Why, exactly, did you want us to meet with you today?"

Hanabi sipped her tea twice before she could bring herself to answer. "There are... some things you need to know, and it falls to me to tell you."

The four parents each exchanged nervous, even fearful glances. Tetsu was the first to speak. "They... they killed, didn't they? I saw the marks of injuries on Kinyue. This mission they just got back from- the one after your training mission. It was combat, wasn't it?"

Hanabi nodded, "Yes, but-" but couldn't finish before the gasps of horror on the two women's faces, mingled with whispers of "my baby!" and "oh, no!" interrupted. She plowed on regardless, determined, now that she was here, to let them know the whole story. "Yes, your children have both become blooded- they are veteran Genin. But that's not actually why I'm here, that's just a small part of it."  
"_Small_?" Amera cried, "My daughter is now a- a killer-soldier, and it's a small issue?"

Hanabi nodded, quelling the older woman's fire with a stare. "Yes, it's small. You must understand, both of your children have been training for this for half of their lives- or more. They have undergone rigorous psychological training and testing to ensure that they will be able to deal with it- and so far, I have been impressed."

Namaki, the one who had first spoken after his wife had served the tea, broke the silence again, "Our children... they wanted to be ninja, and now they are. But, forgive me, Hyuuga-sama, I mean no disrespect- but you don't seem like the type of person who would come to our home to tell us this. Rather, you seem like you would let our children tell us in their own time."

Hanabi nodded, then replied, "Yes, that was actually my plan. However... the actual reason I came here is directly linked to, even follows partially from, that fact- so it was important that you knew it first, anyway."

Kinyue's parents' hands tightened their hold on each other, but none of the four said anything, only waited as the tension built for Hanabi to say more.

"I wish there was an easier way to say this, or to hear it, but there isn't... so I'm just going to say it. Your children, Kenkei and Kinyue, have been having sex for at least the last week."

The explosion was immediate, with both sets of parents quickly devolving into all-out screaming matches, blaming each other, and at times their own spouses, for the poor upbringing each must have given their children. Hanabi let it go for about ten minutes, understanding their need to vent, before she let a spike of chakra flush the room, drowning out the emotions of the other four, who sat suddenly, shocked into silence and inactivity.  
"Sorry about that," Hanabi half-sincerely apologized, "but that's quite enough. There is more-"

"_More_?" Kushini cried, but Hanabi nodded and continued speaking as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"Each ninja- shinobi and kunoichi alike- finds some way to deal with the stress of our profession. Whatever their specialization, we need some kind of outlet to relieve the pressure we feel on a daily basis. For some, that is training. For others, it's sex. Some turn to food, or even, though it's a lesser problem here in Konoha, drugs. There are a hundred vices, a thousand ways to distract us from what we have to do, who we have to be to do our jobs. Your children, young though they are, chose one of the most common, and, really, one of the healthiest methods."

The parents, collectively, looked as if they were about to explode, but Hanabi took a quick sip and then continued, glaring at them as if daring them to interrupt her again, "I have seen otherwise perfectly sane ninja go on murderous rampages because they have not found an outlet for their emotions and stress. I have seen the very worst of what humanity has to offer- and I maintain that, because your children were able to find their outlet at such a young age, they will almost certainly not turn to that method. I am quite thankful, for their own sanity. Of course, there are issues that I have with it... they are both only twelve and thirteen, and to be sexually active at that age... does not necessarily bode well for their future."

Tetsu snorted, but again, Hanabi ignored it.  
"However, I have a word of caution for you- you, Tetsu, are a retired Genin who never made the cut for Chunin, correct? And none of the rest of you are trained at all? Civilians, in other words?"

Each nodded, unsure of where she was going with this.  
"I tought as much- that makes this relatively easy for me, but harder for you. What do you think will happen when- _if_, hopefully, but more likely when- you attempt to separate the two of them?"

None had an answer, so Hanabi continued once again, "Your children will leave you. They will do more missions, move out, and you will never see or talk to them again. If they have children, they will never meet their grandparents. If your own children need help or advice, they will come to me- or another team leader or sensei- and not you. You will effectively be cut off from your children's lives completely."

Amera snorted, "Kinyue wouldn't- I'm her mother!"

Hanabi nodded, actually giving her a chance to respond this time before she answered back, "Yes, she would. You are her mother, certainly- but if your own mother told you you were too young to have children, too young to know what was best for you, what would you do?"

"I'd-"

"Ignore her, yes. You are an adult, and capable of making your own decisions- and so is Kinyue."

Again, each of the parents protested on behalf of their child, until another surge of chakra brought silence.  
"In the eyes of the law, both of them are full adults- regardless of their age and relative lack of experience. They both have steady income and ample opportunity for advancement- as well as, if I may say so, excellent training to do so with. They don't _need_ you, any more. All they need, in their eyes, is each other- and maybe me and their other team mate. So if you want your children to continue being in your lives, you have to make them _want_ to be there. Do you understand?"

Slowly, hesitantly, each of the parents gave her some kind of affirmative over the next several minutes.  
Hanabi allowed herself a small, sad smile. "I'm glad- because your children, though they are sometimes horrible little toerags, are excellent people- I would not want them out of _my_ life, had I the choice. They deserve to have your love and support, and even more so, your guidance and advice. I would, if I were in your positions, do everything I could to help them, not to stifle them. Allow them to be the adults they are becoming, but guide their path- gently- so they don't become the adults they _might_ become."

Several hours later, a weary Hanabi was half-undressed, about to step into the shower of her _own_ bed, in her _own_ room, in her _own_ house of the Hyuuga estate. She was, in fact, more than willing to skip dinner and go straight to bed- it had been more than three months, after all.  
However, the soft but firm knock on her door, followed by the slow slide of the rails, caused her to fling the top half of her gi back up over her torso and whirl away from the door while still glaring angrily at the person who would _dare_ to come into her room without waiting for a resp-

"O- Otou-sama?"

A red-faced Hiashi mumbled an apology, then backed away, swiftly shutting the door behind him.

Exasperated, Hanabi took a moment to replace the rest of her clothing, then slid the door open, schooling a reasonable aproximation of non-embarrassed happiness to see her father onto her face.

"What can I do for you, Otou-sama?"

He glanced very swiftly at her to make sure she was dressed, then gave an apologetic bow.  
Hanabi was shocked- he never bowed first to _anyone_ except the Hokage!

"My daughter, may we talk?"

"Of course, Otou-sama," then she backed away, ushering him into her sitting room.

After he'd settled himself on the desk chair, she took a seat on the bed, facing him, and waited several minutes for him to begin to speak.

"Hanabi-chan," he started haltingly, "do you remember the arrangements we made when your sister married Hokage-sama?"

The kunoichi nodded, "Hai, Otou-sama."

"Do you feel you are ready to fulfill your part of that arrangement?"

At first, Hanabi was a bit confused. The arrangement, as far as she could recall, was already over. Then, she remembered... her sister was now a Namikaze. The only person to bear the Hyuuga family main line forward was... herself. _She_ was the heir. Her eyes widened.

Hiashi gave a wane smile. "I took you by surprise, I see. But I am serious, daughter. I have recently come from a visit with the clan physician... I have become ill."

Tears sprung at once to Hanabi's eyes, but she would not allow them to fall- not in front of her father. Though his outlook on life and family had changed drastically in past years, he was still somewhat stern about showing overt emotion.  
"W- what kind of illness, father?"

"He called it... I can't even remember, it was so long. It's a type of cancer, incurable even with modern medical jutsu. I talked to Shizune-san about it, and she said she'd consult with Sakura-san as well, but neither believe there is anything they can do. They said... I have maybe five years, probably a bit less. I should be able to maintain my duties as Clan Head until very near the end, but..."  
He left the rest unsaid, but Hanabi knew what she had to do. It was time for her to start assuming more of her father's duties, to start fulfilling the tasks she had been trained to do since Hinata had been deemed unworthy, and more so since she had married the man who would become Hokage.

But the thought of increased political power was small comfort next to the imminent knowledge that altogether too soon she would be losing her father, forever.

**A/N2:** Did you like it? Well, didja? If so- let me know! If not, still let me know! Even if you thought it was 'meh', I'd still appreciate hearing about it. :)

No idea when, exactly, I'll be getting the next chapter up- I actually want to do a bit of research on various lethal cancers for Hiashi (I was going to go with pancreatic, which gave me my 'dead by' date and 'incurable', but he would be at a very low risk due to his general health and diet, amongst other factors, so I think I'll go a different route) before I go too much further.

I do have a story-related announcement, however. I know I've left it on a cliffhanger- that was quite deliberate, thank you very much- but the next chapter will be after (at least) a two year time skip.  
I know they're cliche'd in fandom, but I have my reasons- and enough of that period will be covered in flashbacks, etc that you won't really be missing anything. Important story events will still be noted for your reading pleasure. My plan all along was to do this, so don't feel that I'm taking the easy way out and skipping ahead- I'm not. It's necessary to keep the story from being bogged down by two (relatively) boring years, when this story so far has only covered 4 months from the first line to the current last.

Till next time- don't forget to review! (This poor story hasn't even got 1 review per chapter, but it's one of my favorites!)


	12. Chapter 12: Time Flows like a River

**A/N:** Merry Christmahannukwaanzika! This (kind of early) chapter is your present- I hope you like it. :)

It's also quite a long one, coming in at 10.5 pages+ single-spaced. At least long for me, anyway- roughly twice the average. There's two reasons for this. The first is that it's post-timeskip (2.5 years, which is only coincidence when compared to the 2.5 years in canon- remember this is years later, so different events cause it.) The second is that, while I could have ended it at the planned spot (which was just over 5 pages), I had a brainwave and added another character growth scene- which took several more pages. You're welcome again. Lol

Also, to all readers: Please read the bottom A/N carefully. Please. I'm begging you! :)

**Chap. 12 Time flows like a river, and history repeats itself.**

There was a deafening crash, followed almost instantly by a cloud of dust, leaves, and twigs moving at speeds that made them dangerous. When the dust settled, a panting form stood from the center of the cloud, coughed, and slowly, unsteadily, wandered toward the two observers.

It coughed once more, a deeper sound than either observer could remember the person making before, as it exited the thinning mass of still-settling leaves and dust. "How did I do, Hanabi-sensei?" he asked, brushing back his long, unruly black hair, unable to resist watching his sensei's companion's reaction as he did so.

Her white eyes- despite the chakra flow and strange expression- did nothing to hide her amusement at her student's would-be-casual actions. Unable to resist the temptation, she smiled easily, clapped her hand on his shoulder, and replied, "Well, I don't think your charm is all that impressive, but your girlfriend seems to think it's all right. Sorry, you just don't meet up with my standards in a man. Good try on her, though. She looks quite happy with you."

His expression immediately went through 'pleased with himself' to 'utter embarassment' as the younger girl beside Hanabi giggled at her boyfriend's expense.  
"I meant with the jutsu, Sensei..."

She smiled again, rolling her eyes, and answered, "Duh. Come on, Kenkei. We've been a team for more than two and a half years, and you _still_ don't get my jokes?"

He rolled his eyes as well, but ignored her response in favor of looking down into the other's green eyes. "What about you, Kin? Did you think it was cool, at least?"

She nodded, grabbing him into a hug and whispered something quietly enough that Hanabi wasn't able to hear, even feet away. She was grateful, though, since his ears- and hers when she pulled away- had both turned red.  
"No, really, though, Ken, it was pretty good. You overcharged quite a lot- I do know you did it on purpose, but I wouldn't have- no need to show off. Still, it had the desired effect. One less tree in the forest, at the cost of one fire jutsu. Your Exploding Flame Shot isn't anywhere _near_ as powerful as mine, yet, but you've definitely got the basics down. Good job- it only took you a few days, too. Your nature manipulation is getting a lot better."  
He grinned, still not entirely used to praise from his usually stoic and stern sensei.  
"All right, Kin- your turn. Show me what you can do- use the big tree next to Ken's, but hit the strong side that isn't charred. And maybe show some restraint, unlike the showoff here."  
The black-haired girl nodded, still grinning, and gave the young man a peck on the cheek as she paced several steps deeper into the forest. Once she reached a spot about ten yards right of where Kenkei had been standing, she began running through hand seals just as Hanabi activated her Byakugan to make sure she saw it all.

There was a surge, barely detectable at first but that gathered to a torrent in seconds, that made Hanabi's hair- even bound in the back in a way similar to her older cousin's- stand on end, before a brilliant stroke of white and purple energy arced from the sky, down into Kinyue's hand, and was then hurled into the already-charred tree.  
The results were catastrophic to the vegetation, as the several-hundred year old titan began to topple at once, the slivers of grain left on either side of the trunk unable to do the work of holding the massive tree upright. A three-foot hole through the center will do that.  
"Uh, probably time to move, Kin. It's falling kinda close to your direction," Hanabi called to her student, who immediately jumped a few feet toward the tree, before angling back in their direction. When she reached the others, just as a second, quieter but longer, crash flushed another wave of debris their way.  
When it had also settled, Hanabi turned her exasperated eyes to the youngest member of her team. "You had to show off too, did you?"

The girl, flushed with pride, nodded vigorously.  
Hanabi's eyes rolled. "Well, your speed with the seals was excellent. You took a while to gather the chakra, that would alert any skilled ninja to your presence and your location as well- and most likely that a lightning-based jutsu was in use- but the power was probably worth it. Against a fortified position, that would likely be a devastating use of it. Hmm... let's go look at the actual damage. I want to show you both something."

A minute or so later, when the three had reached the new clearing, Hanabi gestured toward the grass and undergrowth near where the young man had been standing, and the trees beyond and slightly above where the female had been. "You see the problem?"

Well used to their sensei's methods after more than two years, the two immediately began analyzing what they were seeing. Kinyue was the first to speak, "Well, I see singed leaves and stuff. Some of the wood is broken, too, but I don't know why. Over there," she gestured toward her boyfriend, "the grass and some of the leaves are burned. Was it just the explosion?"  
Hanabi shook her head. "Nope- but you're close. What do you think, Ken?"

He closed his eyes, brushed his hair in what Hanabi felt was an actual subconscious gesture (and which, she noted, made Kinyue's face pink more than the fake one had earlier), then, "Was it excess chakra? I don't think the explosion was wide enough to have spread that far, even just through the air. Maybe Kin's, but... that would have gone in a line, after it got through her tree, right?"

The Jonin nodded. "Yes, it would have- maybe it would have arced, but she kept a tight rein on it. She's had enough experience by now with Lightning jutsu to know how to control it- mostly."  
Kinyue grimaced at the sort-of praise, but didn't retort. She knew their sensei was right.  
"Anyway, again, close but not quite. It _was_ the chakra, yes. That should be evidenced by the burning on Ken's side and the exploded wood- that's from moisture pockets superheating, by the way, so keep your eyes open for that in future- on Kin's. This is actually a problem I see a lot in non-Hyuuga. Hokage-sama is actually the worst person I know for it, but he can't really help it, either. Can't give him crap about it anyway, 'rank' and all."

Both Genin rolled their eyes, grinning as they fell in step beside each other, Kinyue in the middle. They had not grown anything close to comfortable with their hero, the village leader, and it's greatest protector over the last two years, but his own familial relation with their sensei and the easy manner with which he treated everyone- and more importantly, to their eyes, how their sensei treated _him_, Hokage or not, had caused them to start relaxing a bit about it. They no longer thought it was blasphemy or treasonous to make fun of him, anyway.  
"I don't actually know how to fix it, either, but I know something that helps. Once again, you can thank Aoba-sensei for this one. He said he learned it from a guy in Iwa, but I don't know if that's the case or not. You know how much he... well, you've met him."

Again, both Genin grinned. They'd considered it a rare treat, at first, to have met the Jonin who had trained their own sensei. But his easy manner and smiles (though reservered as most any Jonin's would be) had immediately put the children off. They'd been expecting a stern, drill-sergeant-like man, a giant of course, probably seven feet tall and three-hundred pounds of solid muscle. This was, of course, not counting his expansive knowledge of every jutsu in the book and his truly extraordinary volume of kickassery.

When they found out, toward the end of that evening, that Aoba considered Raido, Kotetsu, and Izumo his closest friends, any respect they might have saved was gone. The perrenial Chunin (with the exception of Raido, who, while a Jonin, seemed to only take Chunin-level work) were well liked by most, but had all the ambition of a Nara, something which had made them not exactly laughing stocks, but at least considered very eccentric among the upper shinobi ranks.  
"So, he had to teach this to my team, but was surprised that I was fine, until he figured out it was a Hyuuga trait. Frankly, if we can't suppress our chakra leakage by the age of four, we're never going to develope our Byakugan. It just takes too much focus at that age. That's why we start training so young. But that's not the point."

The trio was approaching the gates of Konoha, where the two by now traditional gate guards they'd just been thinking about were still signing visitors into and out of the city as they queued up to do their duty as well.  
"The point is, everyone leaks chakra, except the Hyuuga. You can learn how _not_ to do so, and it's actually required for most Jonin, simply because you have to hide your presence. A chakra-sensitive creature, or a sensor-type, like the Kikaichu bugs of the Aburame clan, will identify you no matter how good your stealth skills are. Ask Naruto-sama about that, one time. He only ever tried to prank the Aburame once when he was a kid. So... the first step to supressing your chakra is...?"

Both students groaned. They'd been hoping, even praying, that it wouldn't come to this.  
"More chakra control..."  
Hanabi smiled. "Yep! So, who's up for some water-walking?"

The groans returned, louder, as they approached the desk.  
"I'll make it at the hot springs... my treat. But bring your bathing suits, this time!"

This got a grin from both. She hadn't taken them anywhere as a team in a long time. But...  
Kotetsu, the one with the long, spiked black hair and a bandage across his face covering a scar almost identical to Umino Iruka's, spoke up as Hanabi stepped forward again. "Good to see you back so soon. I thought you were going on a mission?"  
Hanabi shook her head, smiling at the friendly Chunin, "No, we just went out for a training excercise. They both did well. I'm pretty happy with their progress."

Kotetsu nodded, smiling at the Genin. "Glad to hear it. Your badass sensei must really think you did good, if she's telling us- in public and outside a bar, no less- that you did well."

Kinyue smiled back and said happily, "Yep. We found out the trick- all you have to do is show off. If you pull it off, she's always happy. If you fail, it just gives her more to bitch about- still makes her happy."

The two Chunin laughed while the sensei scowled. It was true, of course, but still. Why'd she have to let _them_ know her weakness like that?

A few minutes later, as they were walking towards the Tower to check if there were missions they needed handle before they went to the hot springs, Hanabi recieved a huge surprise, in the form of a question.

"Sensei," Kenkei asked out of the blue, with a tone that suggested both self-annoyance and wistfullness, "did Toride ask to get taken off our team? We haven't seen him in months outside of a few missions we needed help with."

Hanabi smiled. She was actually pleased that her team was still thinking about their other member without her assistance. "No, nothing like that. He's simply been training with the Hokage."

The others froze in their tracks.

"With... with the Hokage?" Kinyue repeated, her eyes wide.  
Hanabi turned around, grinning at their shock. "Yep. He's an Air-type, and I don't know more than the weakest of Wind jutsu, so... I called in a favor."

The couple nodded blankly, only resuming their pace when Hanabi pulled their shoulders forward. "Look, it's not a big deal. You know I favor a well-balanced style, but I simply couldn't have trained him effectively in Elemental Manipulation. Even his likely secondary type of Earth wouldn't have been good, because I barely know any of those, even if they're strong."

Both looked thoughtful, until Kinyue asked, "When're we going to start doing missions with him again?"

Hanabi shrugged nonchalantly, but with just enough pseudo-casualness that she knew her team would pick up on it and know something was up. She said nothing, however, only greeted the receptionist just inside the door of the Tower without pausing, and continued to the third floor.

"We're here to check for missions, Fureno-san," Hanabi said by way of greeting to the Jonin in charge of the mission room that day.  
The slightly chubby man nodded with a kind smile, then looked through his folder of personal requests. "Nope, nothing with your name on it. Something for your cousin, if you're going to be seeing him later."  
She shook her head, "I probably won't until tomorrow. We're having a late-night excercise. Do you know if the Hokage's free for a few minutes?"

He shook his head, "I haven't heard anything. No one's even been in here since the early morning rush. Hey... can you take over for a few minutes? I haven't eaten since breakfast, 'cause my backup's sick today."

The kunoichi thought about it for a moment, but came up with a better (for her) plan at once. "No, sorry, we do need to see Naruto-sama. It's not important, but it is a bit urgent. I do have an idea, though..." and then whipped out a single, steaming to-go container of pork ramen. "This was your favorite kind, right?"

His eyes widened in surprise. "You... you got that for me? Why?"

She grinned, amused at the expression she could see on her Genin as well, "'course not. Sorry, you aren't my type- and what, more than three times my age?"  
He sputtered, but she continued on, still grinning cruelly, "I just got it for the Hokage. I learned as a Genin, if you want something from the boss, bribery always helps. I couldn't get sake easily for Godaime-sama, but Ramen? Come on, his favorite place is just down the street. He won't notice if there's one less bowl."

The older Jonin's eyes narrowed. "Well... I guess. But you better not tell him I stole it, or anything. I _do_ have seniority, so my word against yours..."

Kenkei chose that moment to get into the game. "Yeah, but _she_ has two witnesses on her side. Thanks for playing anyway, Fureno-san!"

All three were laughing as they left the room and headed for the next flight of stairs up.

When they got up to the waiting room just outside Naruto's office, they were all surprised to see their prodigal teammate sitting behind the desk, a look of disgust on his face.  
"Oh... hey guys," he greeted, but said little else until Hanabi prompted him to.  
"So, he's got you doing bitch-work, huh? I hope he's at least training you in what I _asked_ him to."

The taciturn shinobi immediately launched into a gripe-fest. "Barely! I mean, yeah, I can do it now, but he hardly spends any time teaching me! I only know _one_ more jutsu now! One! Instead, I do paperwork- several hours each day. I answer his phone, I get his ramen, I deflect annoying councilors, I get _more_ ramen, I... damn it all! I wish you knew some wind jutsu, Sensei!"

She smiled understandingly, but shook her head. "Sorry. I _did_ ask Aoba-sensei if he knew of any others in Konoha before I asked Naruto-sama. He's the only one- you two are now the only Wind users in the village. I do hear there's another one in an upcoming class, though. Something about... wait, I think she was the daughter of the former Suna ambassador. Nara something. But she's still young, only two or three. How they figured out she was wind is beyond me. Someone to request on _your_ Jonin team, maybe."

Toride scowled darkly. "If I ever get out of this desk job, maybe. I'll never make it at this rate. You realize I'm _seventeen_ and still a Genin? I've already heard people talking about me being the next Izumo!"

Hanabi couldn't resist the snort, or the laughter that spawned it. _Hell no. No way's he going to put up with that!_

His comment, however, had her other Genin thinking. "Sensei," Kenkei asked quietly, "how come? I mean, we _have_ been Genin for getting close to three years now. Isn't that a little long?"

She winced. "Well... yes and no. Tetsu-san retired that way, and he's not the only one. Plenty of Genin stay that way their whole lives. _Most_ of the Chunin do, no matter how much crap people give Izumo and Kotetsu. It's like, eighty percent, really. That's why the ratio of Genin to Chunin to Jonin is the way it is. Lots of people just can't- or won't- make the cut. That's why they get it, though. Everyone knows they're good, like Iruka-sensei, but they don't _want_ to go for Jonin, so they get all kinds of shit. I personally think they like the attention."

Toride nodded, starting to come out of his funk, "Yeah, I bet they think it gets them in good with the ladies. Or maybe they use it to scare _off_ the ladies, since I haven't seen them out with anyone other than each other or maybe Raido-san in... well, since I moved to Konoha."

Hanabi nodded, stifling further laughs, "Well, yeah... but seriously, there's a reason you're still Genin. I can't say what, though, but I have my reasons, I promise."

None looked terribly reassured, but she ignored their grumbles as she chivvied all three into the Hokage's office, unannounced.

Hanabi was surprised to not see Sakura or Hinata in the office with him, but only for a moment. Naruto's expression of terror and sudden pain, combined with the rapidly-increasing flush up his neck (and quick breathing, and elevated pulse, and a host of other things her non-activated Byakugan could still pick out, like the shadows of two feet extra feet under his desk) gave the situation away to her almost immediately. She froze for three seconds, deciding on a course of action, and went with the 'meh, it'll be good for him' one.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama. I don't mean to overstep my bounds, or be insubordinate or anything, but is that... uh, entirely _appropriate_?"

The blonde man suddenly started moving his head back and forth at a frantic pace, "I- I don't know what you're talking about, Hana-" but was cut off by his own squeal of agony. "Damn it, Sakura, now I'm _bleeding_!"

Hanabi activated her kekkei genkai at once to watch all of their reactions.  
The three Genin, predicably, all turned red as they put one and one together.

The Hokage froze again, the terror on his face swiftly fluctuating now between that and totally humiliation.

There was also a very solid _thump_ of flesh on flesh as Naruto's chair jerked backwards several inches. Then the rustle of cloth, the sound of a zipper, and an _extremely_ red-faced master medic-nin climbed up from underneath the same desk, with a valiant- but totally failed- attempt at a straight face. Her would-be-subtle attempt at wiping her mouth didn't help.  
Hanabi, long schooled in such matters, was the only one who looked unperturbed. "Hokage-sama, you should probably be glad that it was my team. Can you imagine Kiba-san's reaction? Or what if Shizune-sama or Lady Tsunade had walked in? Why, that might have _killed_ her."

He paled, but Hanabi refused to relent.  
"Or what of the council? You really shouldn't be using the Hokage office for 'personal' reasons anyway."

Surprisingly, even to her, it was Sakura who replied, her face as red as her usual outfit, "But that hat makes him look so sexy!"

Hanabi's face met her palm violently. She muttered, "My sister definitely corrupted you..." causing her Genin to burst into laughter at their leader and his wive's collective expense.

Once the situation had downgraded from mortifying plus hilarious to mortifying memory plus hilarious memory, Hanabi got down to business. "Hokage-sama," she began, resuming attention, pleased to see all three of her teammates snap into the same rigid stance as one beside her, "I would like to register my team for the upcoming Chunin exam."

Glad for the abrupt change of topic, Naruto quickly reached into his desk and began rifling through it. "I, uh... I had some of your paperwork filled out last year, so let me just change the dates..."

A few minutes later, he handed the mostly-completed stack of sheets to Hanabi, who jerked them from his hands as if he carried the plague, before stepping back with a grin in her eyes. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. It begins in two months, correct?"

He nodded, "yes, and it'll be in the Hidden Mist this time. Good weather that time of year, too, should be fun. I think I'll make an appearance myself, at least for the finals."

Unwilling to resist another needle, she asked, "Or you just want to see the Mizukage in warm-weather gear instead of in official robes? Is that it?"

To his credit, Naruto did not blush. He knew full well, as she was sure most males who'd seen her did, that Terumi Mei was a beautiful woman. However, unlike most males, the Hokage was already married to two beautiful women, and they were quite enough for him, thank you very much.  
Sakura, also, didn't rise to the bait. She only put a calm hand on Naruto's shoulder, more likely to restrain herself than him, and glared at the younger Jonin, who only smiled back.  
"Sorry, I couldn't resist. She seems to like you quite a bit, though, Naruto."

His eyes rolled. "She's too old for me. That'd be like... me and you. Sorry... you're pretty and all, but _no_. That's just creepy."

Toride snorted, "Says the perv with _two wives_. The perv who was getting a beej in his office from one of them."

Five pairs of eyes swivelled to his at once, each one of them showing a mixture of shock and annoyance. He flinched, took half a step back, and muttered quietly, "What? What did I say?"

Naruto, being the man he was, was also not one for unnecessary suffering. He sighed, folded his hands on his desk, and leaned forward. "Look... I know it's not right, okay? She's just too damned good at it-" he was promptly slapped on the back of the head by Sakura, who turned to face the window and crossed her arms.  
"What?" he asked, "It's true! But that's not the point. The point is, when you find someone you love-"

Hanabi, Kinyue, Kenkei, and Sakura all snorted as one.  
Naruto stopped speaking, rolled his eyes, and continued again on a different tact, "Fine, no birds and bees. I hate that talk anyway. Look... I don't judge you, you don't judge me. I love my wives very much, and they- for whatever reason I still haven't figured out- seem to love me a lot too. We show it all the time, and yes, sometimes that means in times and places we maybe shouldn't. But you can't exactly blame me, can you, little rabbits?"

The two younger members of Hanabi's team flushed. They'd been unaware that as team leader, she had been required to inform the Hokage of their relationship in case it became a problem for the team dynamics. So far, she (and he) had been pleased to note, it had actually helped.  
When they said nothing, Naruto returned to the previous subject. "So anyway, the Chunin exams. You can go, of course. You might be the only team, I don't think Naomasa and Bento want to try again after the fiasco last time, but Kiba might try and push them into it to go with Usagi-san. I don't think Yado's team is going to be ready yet, he's not as good a sensei as I'd hoped, and frankly, the teams we've put together since your own aren't that great, either. Maybe... nah, that'd never work."

Before anyone could question it, he waved a hand dismissively, "It's just a crazy idea I had a while back that someone else put me onto. I can't get it out of my head, but I can't think of a way to make it work, either. Basically, the idea was to set up a rotation of teams and sensei so everyone got a feel for everyone else's job. Not that they'd be expected to master them, but just to get the bare bones. It would, in theory, foster understanding between individuals and teams, as well as do a lot to cover the weaknesses of some teams if they get hit with something unexpected, like a scout party running into a heavy ambush squad, that kind of thing. There's a lot of cons though, so I'm not sure if I'll ever actually get it off the ground. Anyway, back to the exams! We've been talking about this long enough, time to wrap up."

No one bothered to mention that it'd been the Hokage doing most or all of the rambling.  
"If you're the only team, I'll definitely be sending a team to escort you as well, probably all Chunin or higher. It's not that I don't trust the Mizukage, but there's still a lot of... well, let's call it 'civil disobedience', and I doubt more than a decade and a half of civil war will be totally quelled within the next couple of months. So... yeah. If someone else enters, they can back you up. If no one else does, I'll send another team- probably mine, actually- to extract you if there's a problem, and then I'll likely be there for the end either way."

Hanabi nodded, "Sounds good, boss. So is Toride fine to resume training with us?"  
The Hokage's face fell for the first time since he'd gotten over the initial embarrassment of his situation, though the Hyuuga heiress was pleased to see his wife still looking very uncomfortable. "Uh... well, yeah, I think he is, but I haven't really been doing very good with him. It's not his fault, he has the concept down really well, I just haven't had time to teach him a lot. Hokage crap, and all, not to mention the kids."

Kinyue, never one to pass up that opportunity, broke in. "Hey, Hokage-sama, how many do you have now, anyway?"

He grumbled, but smiled all the same to mirror his wife's grin. "Six is on the way. Sakura-chan says she's done with this one, but Hinata-chan says she wants one more after a bit of rest."

The rosette blushed a little deeper as they eyes travelled to her with his implication. After a bit, she nodded, then mouthed subtly to Hanabi, since she knew she'd be the only one able to read it, "It's the hormones."

The heiress nodded with a faint grin, but didn't respond otherwise. Internally, though, she was rolling her eyes painfully. _Hormones from pregnancy, sure... I bet they aren't helping, but since this is the sixth time I've caught one of you under that desk... I just thank Kami I haven't seen one of you and him _on_ it!_

"All right, then. I guess we'd better get started on fine-tuning your training, you three."  
After they'd turned to go, Sakura asked, "Hanabi-chan, why did you want to have them wait so long?"

The Jonin's response was immediate and sure. "When my 'rookie' team enters the exams, I want there to be no chance. No competition. They're going to be promoted. Not only that, they're going to _win_, even if I have to drive them into the ground to do it. No more easy training until after the exams."  
Three Genin gulped as one.

Naruto and Sakura shared a look, both knowing full well what Hanabi was really planning, and had in fact been planning since Naruto had given her advice on what kind of sensei she wanted to be shortly after first taking the team.

As the group continued to walk away, their Jonin-sensei informed them of the details of their excercise. "All right, so the Rendo Baths is where we're going to meet. Yes, the place is famous for perverts, but I have it on good authority that it's been clear for ages, ever since N- well, er... Nando-san took over the writing of a certain book series, there's been less, uh... 'research' going on there. None at all, in fact."

All three of her students looked at their teacher with annoyed faces. It was quite clear that none of them had been duped by her ill-planned and worse-executed cover-up, and that all of them knew quite well who was writing for his old shishio since his death.  
"Anyway, uh... where was I. Oh yes, there's another reason I need you to graduate to Chunin this time if you can, and it's part- though a small one- of the reason I waited. I won't explain now, but maybe tonight, or maybe after the exams. I don't want to put pressure on you, but it might help. I just haven't decided yet.

"So meet at the springs, remember your bathing suits- yes, I'm talking to you two- I have no desire to see my student's equipment, thank you very much, even if the baths _do_ allow it in the co-ed bath after eleven. Meet at ten, by the way, so I can give you your instructions before we start. I want a full four hours of training."

Toride gave a little cough of surprise, or maybe apprehension, but said not a word.  
"Once that's done, we'll get a few hour's sleep, and spend the rest of the next day at the springs actually relaxing- we're staying there tonight as part of the excercise. We've got to do quite a bit to work on teamwork, since we've been split up and working on our own for a few months."  
All of them nodded, and she noted with happiness, actually seemed excited at the prospect of spending time with each other that had been sorely lacking for half a year. Even before they'd started working on elemental manipulation, they had begun specializing, which had required at least some time with different trainers.  
"So the short version is: Meet at Rendo at ten. Have dinner first, by the way, they don't serve food in the inn section after nine. Lecture for an hour, practice for four, rest for four. R and R and the springs until nine the next day, then go home for the night, get a good night's rest, and resume hard-core training for the next six weeks. Then rest for most of the week, and travel to Mist before we register for the exams. Sound good?"

"Hai, Sensei."  
They fell into a comfortable silence for a while as they walked toward their homes. Hanabi was looking forward to having Toride split off toward his parent's home a few blocks away, because she needed a private word with the couple. She needed to speak to him alone too, but it was much less urgent.  
She was therefore a bit annoyed when he turned in the same direction they'd be taking instead of continuing straight. After a minute, she turned to him and asked, "Tori, weren't you supposed to go straight back there?"

He shrugged, "Moved out. Parents couldn't handle me being a ninja, so I left. I live on 5J in the red complex, now."  
She nodded, more than a little surprised. _The hell? How much did I miss, that one of my students moved out of his parent's house and I didn't even know? Shit, I have a lot of catching up to do with him, too. Maybe I ought to..._ "Tell you what- I wasn't going to make a big deal about this, but can you speed on a head a bit? Or better yet, lag back? I need a quick word with these two, but I need to speak to you alone as well. Won't take more than a few minutes each."

He shrugged, and set his eyes on a dango stand a little ways off. It was obviously about to close for the night, but he got in just as the owner was closing the covers and asked for a few. Hanabi gave him a grateful nod, then continued on to catch up to her other Genin.

"So, you two. I don't want to embarass you-"  
They laughed, but it was a bit forced.  
"No, really, I don't. Well, not much," she admitted with a grin, "but we need to talk. I heard a rumor that your parents were understanding at first, but have started giving both of you grief about your relationship."

They didn't blush with anything but anger, as far as she could tell in the dim light- which was a lot. "They don't seem to be mad at _us_, they're mostly mad at each other. My parents are talking about getting a divorce now," Kenkei said after a moment, his voice lower than she'd expected. _Puberty finally got to his voice. Heh, poor sod, going into a high-pressure environment with your voice just starting to crack._  
Kinyue nodded, "That's what I heard from mom. Mine aren't fighting with each other so much, but I do hear their arguments anyway. They blame his parents, his parents blame mine, but it's not their fault, just like it's not their decision. _We_ don't think the other's parent's did a bad job on their kid, or even our own."

Hanabi chuckled, "No, but you wouldn't, would you? Listen... no, listen," she repeated sternly when they scowled, "You wouldn't still be on my team if I wasn't on your side, remember?"

They shut up, both able to well recall her initial reaction their youthful explorations of each other.  
"I'm a ninja, I get it. They aren't, they don't. I hate to say this, and it's going to sound a _lot_ meaner than I want it to, but I can't think of a better way. Move out, both of you. Get a place of your own. At least after you make Chunin."

They looked at her, shocked. "Move out- or in, together? But we're only fourteen!"

Hanabi's white eyes rolled. "And adults, blah blah blah. No one would question a Chunin living on his own, or with a long-term boyfriend. I was pretty worried about you guys back then because you were young, not because you were together. But you've shown me that you have something that can last. Maybe not _will_, but that at least _can_, and I'm willing to bank on you being mature enough to work together if you do end up growing apart. So... for now, at least think about it. I don't want your parents causing you guys problems- I'm supposed to protect you from everything, and I think this is the best way to protect you from your parents. You have enough stress in your lives, you don't need to add their own on top of it just because they can't deal with it themselves."

The couple nodded, but when they didn't respond after a bit, Hanabi clapped them both on the shoulder and turned around to wait for Toride. He was about a block back, walking hesitantly toward them. As the couple walked away, she heard them whispering rapidly to each other, sounding both nervous and excited at the idea she'd planted in their heads, before turning down the street that would lead them to their parent's homes.

When Toride caught up, he wordlessly handed his sensei a stick of stale dango, which she accepetd with a quick, "Domo".  
They walked in companionable silence, which she was quite happy for. She didn't know quite where to begin with him, but she knew, at least, that he was okay with not talking. _Once again, why he's my favorite._

After a bit, she was starting to wonder just how close to her own apartment- she maintained one on this side of the city to stay in when she didn't want to cross the Village to go to her ancestral home- before she remembered the intersection he'd named. 5J was the same as her own, and the red complex- of white, brown, and a pale green on the same intersection- was even her own complex. She brushed it off as a happy coincidence. "So... how's your training been going?" she asked between the last few bites of her sugary treat.

He shrugged, "'s okay, I guess. I really do have the straight-up manipulation down. I can't cut a waterfall, like Hokage-sama had to do, but I can't summon a thousand shadow clones to help, either. I got the leaves in a few days. The jutsu he taught me isn't amazing, but it's useful- Daitoppa."

She nodded, "That's a common one. It's pretty nice, yeah. Lots of uses. I'll see what I can dig up to help you expand your library. My cousin, Neji, knows a few wind jutsu, so maybe I can borrow his scrolls. Or there might be something in the Clan library you can use."

His eyes widened. "Your- your Clan library? Aren't those like, heavily restricted? I know they were in Iwa, and I hear that Konoha's even worse."

She nodded, "Yes, but I _am_ the Clan Heiress. They pretty much let me do what I want, you know? Besides, I trust you with them. So would my father."

Toride's eyes didn't shrink, though his face colored a bit. "The- the Heiress? You're taking over the Clan some day?"  
She nodded, her expression hardening. He seemed to notice, because he mumbled a vague apology.  
Shaking her head to clear it, she responded, "Don't worry about it, there's no way you could have known. Listen... can I talk to you? Not as student-teacher, but... I don't know, as a friend? I really need some advice. Well... no, I just need to talk about it."

He nodded, his face regaining it's pink color after the pale shade he'd gone when he thought he'd upset her.  
She grinned sadly, "Well.. let's wait on that. I honestly would rather tell you before the others anyway. The age thing helps, but your ability to not interrupt is the best part. But I'm still not quite... well, we need to talk about your training first anyway."

He nodded unsurely. She could sympathize- she knew what it was like to want to help someone, but not be sure how. At least being a sensei had taught her to make things up on the fly and hope for the best.

"Okay, so you have a possible/probable source for new jutsu, but I'm afraid nothing would be terribly rare. Believe it or not, quite a few of my Clan are Wind-natured relative to the rest of Konoha, but we still don't have very many, so we just have a fairly common Wind selection. But anything's better than nothing, right?"  
"Sure," he said, still visibly uncomfortable, but getting it under control as they neared 5- just a few blocks away, now.  
"I need to check up on your Taijutsu, obviously, make sure you haven't been slacking. Your Earth is solid, I'm sure, but I can check that too. You know any more Fire or Lightning than I've shown you?"  
He shook his head, "Nope, I don't pick either up well. I still can't do that Lightning Shuriken one at all. Pretty hopeless with it, I guess."  
She put her arm around his shoulder, pushing down the wince that he- while six years younger- was significantly taller now, "Well, I wouldn't say that. We all have strengths and weaknesses, right? I'm hopeless with Wind, you with Lightning. Just the way it is. I'm not good with Earth, either, but you are."  
He frowned, more uncomfortable now (she refused to guess the reason why), "You use Earth all the time, and do it pretty well as far as I can tell."

She shrugged, "Practice. Took me forever. And what grade are mine? B at best? Earth Clones aren't exactly the cream of the crop as far as difficulty goes."  
"But you use them all the time. I don't even get why."  
She grinned wickedly in the now-risen moonlight, "Surprise. I use mostly Water and Earth to surprise my opponents. Douse 'em, grind 'em up, and just when they think they _might_ be able to win, because for a Jonin my techs aren't super strong, I break out the fireworks."

Toride froze on the street for half a moment as he processed the pun, then groaned. "It's really weird to hear you say hanabi, Hanabi-sensei."  
She smiled, amused. "I know, that's why I do it! But you get the point, right? Make them plan a strategy as to how to beat a mid-to-strong Jonin that uses Earth and Water. Then break out the much more powerful Fire and Lightning jutsu. Not only am I much better with them naturally, their whole plan is out of the running, because the jutsu and skills that work against the first two are useless- or even detrimental- for the other two."  
He nodded, "Yeah... think it'd help if I learned a good number of Water or Fire?"  
She shrugged, removing her arm from his shoulder, "Couldn't hurt. Would be less effective if we're on the same team- same strategy being used more than once in the same fight- but still, my elements are weak and strong against one. Yours are opposites, so it's still quite a bit different. You cover more bases, but I hit harder versus my own opposed elements. Another strategy I was thinking of for the exams is... well, you might not like to hear it, but I think you should focus on learning a few Genjutsu."  
He scowled. "I'd rather not."

Hanabi's eyes rolled as they turned onto 5 and started moving toward J, three blocks down. "I'm sure it's something to do with being from Iwa. They always seem to want a straight-up fight when I meet them in the field. You too?"

As she watched him, she was sure he didn't know if he wanted to smirk with pride for his old homeland, or be embarrassed he shared a trait with them.  
"'s fine, I guess. If you don't want to learn it, I can't make you. You wouldn't be good at it without motivation, anyway. You're just the best one-on-one combatant in your team, so I was thinking you could add Genjutsu to cover that base for your squad as well as for a surprise tactic. Maybe..."  
"Why do I need to bother? I'm pretty good, I think."

"You are... and you're also arrogant, and I know several Chunin that would flatten you in a fight. A few Genin I know could give you a damned good run for your money. What would you do against Ii? You couldn't hit him with his speed and range. About Usagi? He's just too fast for you, even though you hit harder and can take a punch. But he uses weapons, and you don't. Even with your Doton Armor, he'd wear you down. You might be able to take Bento, since I don't know a lot about his skills, but I do know he's Earth too, and likely has a big repretoire, since lots of Inuzuka are Earth natured."

"I don't know... would I end up fighting against my own team? I think I can take them, but I don't really know with the new stuff they've learned."

She shrugged. "Their jutsu lists have apparently gotten a lot better than yours, but I still don't think they can beat you in Taijutsu, armed or unarmed. But Ken's started up a bit of a rivalry with Ii involving archery, and Kin is showing a bit of interest- and no small skill- in medical jutsu. So we have range, support, and melee, yes. But what about other skills? What do you bring to the table?"

He knew her teaching style well enough to know she had an answer, but that she wanted him to reach it on his own. He thought for a while, but came up with nothing. "I don't know, Sensei. I'm older, stronger, tougher- mostly those because I'm older. I suck at medical stuff, don't even want to think about learning Genjutsu, and am only fair at best for a Genin with my experience and age in Ninjutsu."

She nodded. "But you have something else, something they don't have."

Toride frowned outside their building. She stopped alongside him and waited patiently, eventually leaning against a brick planter which was currently filled with the early summer growth.  
"I really don't know, sensei," he sighed, "I mean I'm a loner, I'm quiet, not charismatic, so I'm not a good negotiator. I'm not particularly good at anything except fighting."

Keeping one specific thought to herself, _Damn good at making me smile, kid_, she shook her head before gesturing him inside, "Come to my place before you hit up your own. I have something I want to show you- but I need your word you'll never tell another soul about it, especailly your teammates. Unless I die, then you can show them. It's sort of a... a last words type of thing."

Knowing that, despite her nervousness in showing him something so personal as a kunoichi's planned last words. It was a frequent habit with ninja, who never knew if they'd be coming back from a mission.

The concept was simple. Write down what you want to say to those important in your life, but may never get the chance to. If you die, it's read by those you cared for so they can hear your voice and words one more time, and so you can die knowing they will be able to.  
They were normally only ever read after a ninja's death, so this was truly a rare event. "You... you aren't dying, are you, sensei?"  
She snorted, "Not if I can help it. No... although that's what got me thinking about writing my own words. Someone close to me. I'll explain later, I said I would. Just... here we are."  
She placed her palm on the door, unlocking the runic lock, then turned the key she produced from around her neck. "It's not much, but since I only stay here two or three times a month on average..."

He whistled as he walked through the door, dark eyes roving. It was simply decorated, much like the Hyuuga estate- refined elegance without being gaudy. He obviously liked the style, however, judging by his expression when he turned to face his sensei. "It's nice. Mine's just bare walls and some simple furniture for now. I could barely afford the place, even with the bonus pay I got for helping the Hokage with his paperwork."  
She shook her head, knowing Naruto would likely be underpaying him and chalking it up to 'experience gained' when Toride eventually learned what his actual receptionists- his wives- made for desk duty. Of course, to that same Hokage's credit, he paid them not a zeni more or less than the previous two Hokages had done for the same duty.

A few minutes later, after she'd handed him a cup of tea and sat down across from him with her own, Hanabi began. "My father's dying. In a year or two, maybe a bit less, but not likely more, I'll have to take full command of my Clan. That's why I want you to make Chunin this time, all threeof you. So I can make sure you're able to make it on your own without me, since most of my time will be spend doing... well, Clan stuff."  
Toride took the information in calmly, and sat for a few minutes in silence. Then he put his tea gently on the saucer, crossed to Hanabi and took her own from her hands, and pulled her upright by the elbows.  
Confused, the kunoichi let him stare at her eyes for a moment before he embraced her in a tight, almost violently strong, yet still very comforting hug.

It took several minutes before Hanabi realized she was crying into his shoulder, but could not bring herself to stop.

**A/N2:** Some of you (those that are reading One Hour, which given the number of hits per story is likely 100% of you) may have already seen this. If so... shame on you for not doing it then. :)

The short version, since I explained it in pages there, is that I want more reviews- so I made it easier to do so, and not only that, but to give _good_ reviews. It's simple- copy and paste the stuff below into your review. Answer what you want to, and clear the rest away- or don't even bother with that part.  
I get good, useful data, and you don't have to do a lot of work to give a great, valuable review. You _will_ have to think a bit, but it's nothing too bad- you don't have to think of what to talk about, for instance.  
Yes, this is a desperate plea for reviews.I don't deny it. However, it is also something I think can help a lot of people- reviewers and authors alike. So copy it, paste it, spread it around too if you want- I would love everyone that reviews (and some that I wish would start- you know who you are) to leave reviews like this, so we can all get better.  
Anyway, here you go- the Review Form, version 1.0 :)

**Instructions:** Simply Copy-Paste this into your text box after hitting the "review" button (and either signing in or putting in a name, if necessary), and fill in the blanks. Simple stuff, really.  
As always, it's all strictly optional, though most useful if it's filled out completely. If one has reviewed multiple chapters, it's considered perfectly acceptable _not_ to answer the 'story as a whole' questions more than once. No need to be redundant. But if you see something new... of course it'd be nice to mention it. There are 19 total questions, and as I said before, only answer what you feel like. This is just to give you some thoughts as to what I'm (and probably other authors, which is why I say it's fine for anyone to use it) looking for in a 'perfect' review. That'd be answering each of these with specific information. And if it doesn't make your life easier, if you think it's a pain... don't bother. Just review anyway, please.

1: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the overall plot flow of this chapter?

2: Of the story as a whole?

3: If possible, name one specific example of a strength or weakness in plot for this chapter?

4: Of the story as a whole?

5: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the characterization in general of this chapter?

6: Of the story so far?

7: If possible, name one specific character and trait of that character you feel was portrayed well,

and one portrayed less than perfectly.

8: Again, of the story so far?

9: Same scale of 1-10, how would you rate the grammar/typing skills of the author in this chapter?

This includes punctuation as well as sentence structure and spelling.

10: You know the drill by now, the whole story?

11: Any specific typos or spelling errors (especially repeated, such as the common 'definatly' and

similar, or you're/your) that you can think of? Being specific helps to identify a problem better,

but should not feel like a requirement.

12: 1-10 for each; please rate the general word choice skills of the author. Is the author using words

that are too complicated, or too simple? Do the descriptive sentences bring images to your

mind, but not bog down the pace of the story, or even the scene? Is the wording too flowery, or

too dull?

1=Simple/10=Complicated:

1=Jolting/10=Vivid:

1=Dull/10=Flowery (for this only, a "5" would be perfect, since either extreme is bad):

13: How do you feel about the balance between action and calm? Do you prefer more action or

more emotional tension ('fluff')? For this question only, 1=More action, 10=More 'fluff', and

5=Good balance.

14: How would you rate the effectiveness of any non-antagonist OC's? Be specific, if possible. If

Matsumi Karuugi, the princess of the Land of Crickets was a love interest for, say, Shino (hey,

genius idea!), is she interesting? Developed, not flat? Is it fun to read about them, or do they

just get in the way of the main characters? 1=Waste of text/10=Adds a lot to the story, well

done.

15: Similar question, but for OC antagonists? Are they just bumps in the road, or do they actually

threaten the protagonist(s) in some way? Do they have well-thought out goals and plans? What

about their lives outside of total world domination (or whatever)? 1=Waste of txt/10=Good bad

guy.

16: Does the author use antagonists effectively in try/fail cycles? 1-10, and as always, be specific if

possible.

17: Does the author display knowledge of the subject matter? 1/10. As an example: Me trying to

write a fic about, say, Trigun. I've watched the series... once. I probably won't watch it again. It

was funny, yes, but didn't hold my interest due to it's sheer inanity- it was just too much. I know

the main four characters- Vash, Milly, whats-her-name (the tall one? Or is that Milly and I can't

remember the short one's name? Was it Meryl?), and the priest with the big cross-gun-thing,

what's-his-name. I will not _ever_ (I can say that with some certainty, yes) be writing a Trigun

fic- because I don't know it that well, as proved above. On the other hand, I know Harry Potter

like the back of my hand- or better. I know Naruto well, I know Bleach pretty well. If I don't, I

can look it up and get the information that brings it all rushing back- so yes, I know those and

can write about them.

18: Other positive remarks? Anything else that struck you as good or well done, but that doesn't fit

into the above categories?

19: Anything negative? Remember to be constructive here, don't just flame. Real, or even semi-

serious authors generally want to be told what they need to improve, as well. Don't hesitate,

don't worry (too much) about hurting my feelings- you won't, as long as you're handling it with

some maturity. Even if all you can come up with is something general like (using One Hour as

an example, since I had complaints about this), "I can't read this any more because you're

making it a 3-way and I find those degrading". I may not agree (and I have argued my point at

length, trying to get people to see my point of view as well as I like to think I can see theirs), but

at least now I know that some of my (some former) readers don't like that sort of thing, and are

in fact strongly against it. It's all relative, and any little thing can help.


	13. Chapter 13: Hot Springs Ninja

**A/N:** Well, it hasn't been 'terribly' long since my last update for this story- but sorry all the same. (I believe it was Christmas when I updated it last)  
Still, this one's a decent length at least, so no reason to complain there. In addition- there's some more Hanabi-love (after a fashion...) and our first 'real' glimpse into Toride, to match the Kenkei and Kinyue flashes in earlier chapters.

But the best part? Actual, fic-end ships are revealed! ...

...

... as if anyone hasn't already guessed. :)

Enjoy the latest chapter, and please not the A/N2 afterwards. Got a question for y'all.

**Chap. 13 Hot (Springs) Ninja!**

Kinyue and Kenkei both gave a low whistle when the sillohuette of their sensei and the remaining Genin on their team appeared out of the steam rising from hot springs. They had expected her to arrive in the same relatively-modest clothing they had selected (at her instruction). She, a one-piece, and he a shorts and t-shirt combination. Hanabi, though, was wearing only a small black bikini bottom with a towel wrapped around her shoulders- she didn't seem to be wearing a top.  
Toride had foregone the t-shirt, but his shorts were longer and baggy, hanging down to his knees.

The surprised expressions on their faces faded a minute later as Hanabi slipped quietly into the smallest bath- just large enough for perhaps six people to have a comfortable conversation, so easily enough for four- of the Rendo Hot Springs Inn. The Jonin moved to sit directly across from the couple, leaving the final member of their team the choice of either side. To their surprise, though, he instead stepped cautiously- testing the water with a single toe, first- into the pool and then with a grunt and tight jaw, settled to Hanabi's immediate left.  
A moment later, he looked over at their sensei, who's face had finall relaxed a little.  
"Um, Sensei..." Kinyue was obviously nervous. She'd never seen evidence that her Jonin Sensei even possessed emotions other than pride, anger, and a stinging, sarcastic sense of humor. Now, though... "Did... did something happen? Are you... are you all right?"

Toride's glare silenced her from asking anything else.  
But what shocked Kenkei into silence was the older Genin's arm sliding around their sensei's shoulder and pulling her head down to rest on his shoulder. Hanabi's eyes were still closed, but now that he looked closer, Kenkei noticed what his girlfriend had. Their sensei's eyes were red and puffy, though she had made some small attempt at covering it with makeup.  
"Is that why you're late?" He asked quietly, in an attempt to change the subject.

Toride nodded. "She lost track of time. We didn't even finish our discussion, so... I don't know what she needed to talk to me about. What about you guys? Anything you can tell me about, or is it secret?"  
Kinyue, displaying a willingness to talk to the older boy that would have been unheard of three years ago, immediately grinned widely. "Oh, no, not a secret. It's kind of private, but nothing like _that_."  
The distant part of Hanabi's awareness that was actually paying attention to the conversation going on around her was amused at the younger girl's prudishness, despite having lost her virginity more than two years previously at the tender age of twelve and a half. Another part of her psyche was struggling mightily to put up a brave face despite her emotional turmoil. The rest, though...

"She just told us she wanted us to move out of our parent's places. They can't handle, well, _us_, so..."  
Toride grunted. "'s why I moved out. Couldn't handle me being a ninja, so I left. Good for you guys if you do."

Kenkei smiled. While he would certainly have laughed in the face of anyone who'd suggested he would value the young man from Iwa's opinion years ago, the truth was... that was a different him. Toride didn't seem to have changed that much, but Kenkei himself was a vastly matured person. True, he was just fifteen, and likely had a lot more 'growing up' to do, but he had been, done, and seen too much to remain much a child any longer. Because of that, the thoughts and opinions of one of the very few people who- since 'circumstances' had forced them to get to know one another- had always, _always_ been at his side when he needed it, fighting for him, and his girl, and more importantly, fighting for _them_. It might have been a surprise at the time, but having come to know the other Genin as he did, it was no surprise to Kenkei that on their very first training mission, Toride had defended his 'explorations' with his girlfriend-turned-lover to their Sensei- and convinced her it would be all right.  
"Cool," he said after a moment's silence, "You know of any places? We don't have a lot... we haven't been saving or anything, but we can do more D-ranks in a day if we have to."

The former Iwa shinobi shook his head. "Not for two people, even with just one bed. My own place is just a tiny hole. It's a few floors down from Sensei's place and in the other wing. She's got this nice pad, but my bedroom is about as big as this pool. I think the complex does have a few more places though, if you don't mind being cramped."

Kenkei frowned, but Kinyue's reaction was a bit stronger. "No, can't do that. No offense, Ken, but I'm _not_ living with you in close quarters. I've shared rooms with you enough to know what a slob you are."

The two male Genin laughed, one embarrassed and the other amused, though Toride's was quite subdued all the same.

There was silence for a long while after that while the cell relaxed.

Eventually, though, Hanabi seemed to come out of her funk suddenly. She sat up straight at once, rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, and activated her Byakugan.

At once, Toride's arm slid back to his side and he moved a few inches away, blushing.  
She didn't seem to react to acknowledge the position either had been in at all, so he tried to ignore it as well. _Besides,_ he thought, _it's not like it's the most compromising position she's ever caught me in..._  
"All right, you guys," Hanabi said, with a mostly-normal voice, "water-walking. You can all do it, but you could use more practice. In addition... you're going to be molding Elemental Chakra while you do so. This'll be easier for Toride, since he's Wind, but none of you should have a hard time. Even Fire's stronger here than you might think, since the water's so hot."

Kenkei nodded, he'd already thought of that. "So just water-walking up here?"  
Hanabi shook her head before standing, making sure the towel was still securely around her shoulders. It wouldn't do for it to fall. _Not that they need to know I'm holding it on with Chakra... even I can always use more practice!_ "Try it before you start thinking it's easy. Come on, I'll show you two first... Step up, and then mold the Elemental Chakra with your hands without falling into the water. But... be careful how you land."

She stepped up onto the surface, immediately standing on the near-boiling water as if it was a solid floor, before flexing both hands, and then opening them palm-up. In her right, a flame a few inches across danced in one palm, hissing in the moist air, while electricity flickered between her fingers with an even louder, buzzing hiss. "Try it."

Where the three younger ninja might have grumbled at the new excercise, she had finally beaten- in some cases literally- that habit out of them. Instead, they each rose fluidly to stand facing each other on the surface of the hot springs pool.

Each of the Genin, not as proficient or nearly as practiced as their sensei, needed both hands to form a few seals and then to mold the Chakra itself. Before they even got half way through, though, the first one- Kenkei- fell into the pool with a splash. The sudden change in water density caused the other two to fall in immediately after. They all rose, spluttering and cursing, while Hanabi laughed. _Ah, well... it may not actually cheer me up, but at least it's distracting me. Hell, I need to tell the others tonight, though... I don't think I can send them off with only Toride knowing._

Truthfully, they were starting to get the hang of the excercise within the first twenty minutes. By the end of their 'hour' of practice, which came after another twenty minutes of tutelage, they could mold the Elemental Chakra while standing on the water quite easily... if not in a combat situation. But they still had a few months._ I guess it's time..._

"All right, all three of you did pretty good. Have a seat again, time to relax... I have something I need to tell you. Tori... act surprised, okay?"

He gave a weak smile at her attempted humor, but didn't otherwise respond. Hanabi didn't, however, miss the concern in his eyes.  
"After the Chunin Exams... I'm probably going to have to retire as a sensei, whether you pass or fail."

The response- even from Toride, since she hadn't mentioned that part- was enough to draw annoyed 'suggestions' to keep quiet from the other hot springs at the Inn.  
"It's nothing because of you guys," she responded quietly to Kinyue's almost tear-filled eyes, "I'm actually really proud of you. It's... a family matter."

The two younger Genin looked confused until she explained the whole situation, much as she'd done with Toride earlier. This time, though, she was able to keep the tears inside.

"So, I'll still be around, and I'll help with whatever I can, but I don't think I can justify putting off my Clan's needs any more. That's why I'm going to retire as a Sensei. But I'm pretty sure you guys can make it. You each have different strengths, but all of you are well qualified to be Genin. You're _definitely_ the best team _I've_ ever trained!"

Two snickers and a snort- half-clogged by Kinyue's running nose- were the answer to that 'jest'.

(O)(O)(O)

"Well, it's getting late, you guys. It's well after one, we probably ought to head to bed, even if we're just relaxing tomorrow."

Toride grunted and rose, releasing the hand he'd returned to holding under the water after their practice was over before he did so. "Right."

The young couple shared a look that both of their teammates had learned to recognize as 'Yay, another bed to 'Christen'!' with a smile.  
As Kenkei was half-risen, one hand holding onto his girlfriend's to help her stand, the youngest member of the team turned her attention back to the oldest. "Oh, Sensei... what was it you were saying before about our strengths and weaknesses? You weren't just talking about jutsu, or fighting styles, right?"

Surprised not just that she'd forgotten that entire part of the conversation, but that the younger kunoichi had delved so far 'underneath the underneath', Hanabi was a moment in replying. "Well... no, it's not. You already know that part, that's 'surface' and 'underneath'. What's a layer below that?"

Having already been thinking about it, Kinyue's response was quick as she stood. "Well, Toride's stable, Ken's high-strung and energetic, and I'm a normal balance."

Hanabi snorted. Nothing (or at least, not much) about the younger kunoichi was 'normal' in her book, aside from being a kunoichi in general or having a lightning affinity. Those were things the Hyuuga understood and identified with quite well. Everything else... _Well, I wasn't exactly an 'adult' when I lost my virginity, either, but I wasn't exactly doing it ten times a day back then, either. Still not._ "Right... that's part of it, for sure. Emotional states and personalities mix, match, and mesh. What else?"

Kenkei was the next to respond. "We think differently. You do too, really. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants planner. I think about it, and plan, but I do it spur-of-the-moment and adjust on the fly. Kin doesn't really plan at all, she just reacts. She's fast enough to get away with it, though."  
He winced suddenly as the kunoichi glared in his direction. Hanabi smiled. _Sore foot... true, though._  
"But," the shinobi continued, "Tori's a long-term planner. He thinks about the results of everything before he does it."  
Hanabi nodded. "Yep, all three have their place. What about me?"

"What else? You're just better than us, Sensei. You do all three of them as needed."

She hadn't been exactly prepared for flattery, but he _was_ right... "Okay, thanks for that. But... why?"

Kenkei shrugged. "Practice, I guess. You've been around long enough to know that one way of looking at something may not work, but another would. So you learned and adapted, just like you're trying to get us to do."  
She grinned widely, truly happy with their progress now. "And what about you, Toride? What do they bring to the table that you don't, and what do you have that they don't?"

Like he had earlier, the older Genin shrugged and looked away from each of the others. "I really don't know, Sensei. I've been thinking about it since you brought it up, but..."  
She let him stew for a few minutes longer while the others continued to try and come up with more answers. After a bit, though, she grew bored- and it _was_ rather late. "Okay, I'll go easy on you this time. It's hard to analyze yourself sometimes, and this isn't something so easily identified as the others came up with. We have emotional and mental strength from each of you, but of different types. Physical- combat, I mean- strength varies between you, but you each have it in some form. Ranged, Ninjutsu, Melee, and so on. Ken brushed on it earlier, but didn't take it in the direction I thought he would..."

She trailed off, hoping one of them would get it. When they looked even more confused, she rolled her white eyes in the darkness. "Well, I guess I'm not really explaining it very well. It isn't even something they have that you don't- it's almost all what you have that they don't, Toride. You could look at it another way, but... well, let's do that." She gestured toward the couple, "They have each other. No matter what- unless they break up- they can count on each other to have their backs, no matter what. In combat or out, in matters of life and death, money, friendship, moral support, whatever- they have someone they can lean on and that they can return the favor to. That's a strength all it's own, and something we all share between us to a greater or lesser degree- but what they have, as a couple, is something that isn't shared between the rest of us. Right?"

Distracted, for once Hanabi didn't see the almost hurt look in Toride's eyes.  
"But what _you_ have, Ioka-san, is something they don't. A strong sense of self-worth- trust me on that one, even if you can't see it or agree- and self-reliance. You don't ask for help unless you need it, but when you do, you aren't afraid to. You know your limits and aren't shy about them. But you're strong enough not to ask for help because you're lazy. Not that you two are lazy," she turned her attention back to the couple, "it's just a different kind of strength. Hokage-sama would say you two are stronger, but I say he is. So for all it matters, you're equally strong, right?"

Toride wasn't sure where she was going with this- honestly, he wasn't sure about her 'logic', either, but figured he could give her the benefit of a doubt this once given what she'd revealed to him earlier.  
"Basically... Toride has leadership qualities. More than I do, even. Not that I'm that good a leader, I just do my best with what I have. You two, though, are not leaders- at least, not any more than I am."

All three of them, predictably, disagreed.  
"I'm not a leader," Toride growled, "I can't stand people most times."  
"But Sensei! You're a great leader!"  
The Jonin, truth be told, didn't listen to any of the actual words- she knew perfectly well the objections they would have without needing to hear the words used to convey them. Instead, she took a moment to go back to her 'happy place', before remembering in a flash that her father was dying, and that happy place wasn't particularly happy any more. Not without a mother she'd never known- but still dreamed of often- and a father who only in recent years had begun to open up again, only to be torn away from them all suddenly.  
"Quiet," she said at last, working hard to master her emotions _again_.  
Once they'd settled, she resumed. "Kin, Ken, I'm _not_ that good a leader. Apparently I'm a good teacher, or you guys are good students, but as far as being a leader... I'm sub-par at worst to dead-average at best. I take orders better than I give 'em. I'm... my mental makeup is not one conducive to the stress of leadership, much less snap decision-making that can cost lives. Every damned time we go into even a mild-combat mission I all-but freak out. So... no. Once you're Chunin, if we do missions together, I think it'll be better. I won't 'technically' be responsible for your lives, even if I'll still feel like I am... should be easier on me. But my point is, I'm a solo operator or a teacher, not a combat leader. I'm good in a cell, but not as the one in charge."

Reluctantly, the others nodded. She could tell they didn't agree, but that didn't matter to her. They'd understand or not- likely would- soon enough. There was a reason she'd only just made Chunin on her second attempt, when the field had been a bit dry anyway.  
"Our Earth- and Wind-jutsu specialist, though, is made up entirely different things. He plans, he's stubborn enough to make sure the plans are followed, but he's also smart enough and humble enough to listen to his subordinates. That's- if I do say so myself- one of the _only_ things I have going for me as a leader. He's almost certainly going to be your squad leader on most missions if you all make Chunin this time. That's probably actually why Hokage-sama stuck him at the desk, so he can get used to paperwork. Did the same thing to me when I made Chunin. Asshole. He wasn't even _Hokage_ then, but Godaime-sama backed him on it. I think she just did it to make me suffer."

Her change of subject distracted the couple, but Toride was brooding in silence until they split off to their respective rooms. In the interests of her own sanity- the Inn was very nice, but had thin walls- Hanabi had purchased two rooms a _long_ way down the hall from the couple's, which was near the baths.  
After they'd separated, the two older members of the squad continued on in silence. The shinobi continued to brood, while the kunoichi- in a better mood than she had been in weeks- walked with a relaxed gait, despite being nearly naked. It was now past two, and unlikely that anyone would be up anyway.  
Once they reached her room, though, reality came crashing back down. As Toride took a step past her to continue on, she stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Hold on... come in here for a bit. I could... well, I could still use someone to talk to. I'm not... not as... not as ready to be alone as I've been acting. I could use a drinking buddy."

He pinked, but didn't object. Instead, he nodded once and followed her into the room, making sure the room was locked behind him.

(O)(O)(O)

Toride woke up with a blazing headache, but a feeling of bliss overpowered it almost effortlessly. His brain quite fuzzy, it took a while to puzzle out exactly why that was. _Sake... lots of sake. Note to self... no more sake. Not with Sensei. She can drink like a horse, even if she weighs half as much as I do. And... sun. Sun sucks. Birds chirping. They suck.  
But I feel so nice..._

It was probably several minutes before he realized why.  
His eyes cracked open, only his stubborn nature able to keep them that way in the sunlight pouring into the room of the Inn. He was sprawled out on the couch, his Jonin Sensei half- well, much more than half, but not completely- naked draped over him.

Fortunately, his clothes were completely on, and as far as he could tell, clean.

_Thank Kami... we didn't... didn't... _fuck_ but I wish we had!_

Senses fine-tuned and honed by years of ninja life caused the slight increase in breathing and heart rate below Hanabi's left ear prompted her to wake even from a still-slightly-drunken state almost at once. Her thoughts were rather more rushed than her student's.

_Naked. Close enough. Unfamiliar smells, sounds. Probably hostile. Unarmed, except for Jyuuken. Move... _now!

She flipped up to perch, standing tall and still covered only by her bikini bottoms- the towel was crumpled where it had fallen half-underneath Toride against the back of the couch- to take in the situation in more detail.

Her student's eyes widened. "S-Sensei! You aren't wearing-"

"_Toride! What do you remember? What did we do?"_  
The venom in her voice was unmistakable. Suddenly, the Genin went from blissful-hangover to hung-over-and-fearing-loss-of-limb. _So much for a good day..._

**A/N2: **Well, not so much a question as a favor. I have a new 'scene break' that I'm hoping will get past the Ffnet 'censors'. Let me know if it does/doesn't? For some reason, by the time I've posted, I always forget to check it.

As far as post-chapter notes... I really don't have a lot. But what I do have...

Yes, Hanabi kept the secret about her father from her Genin for the entire 2.5 years. That's half the reason she's so stressed/freaked out about it. The only people she can talk to are Hinata, Neji, Sakura, Naruto, and Hiashi himself- at least two of which (the Hyuuga) would find doing so to be extremely uncomfortable, so she can't really go to them either. Aoba? Not that kind of student-teacher relationship. (Yes, this is one of those "Hanabi makes a better teacher than her own Sensei" things)  
The exact reasons why will most likely- but not certainly- be revealled later.

Oh, and lastly- no, they didn't have sex. He's still completly clothed. Heavy or not, he's new to the drink, and Hanabi didn't even try (though she probably thought about it a lot- just has a constant mood-killer reminder at the moment). The towel just came off while sleeping, since they both basically passed out.

Any other questions/comments, feel free to PM me- or better yet, REVIEW!  
Please, guys, review. I know this isn't my most popular story, no matter how much I love it- but I have more than one reader, so getting one review- or even less- per chapter is quite depressing.

'Till next time!


	14. Chapter 14: Revelations in the Mist

**A/N:** Hey, all! Yeah, it's been a while, I know, but not quite a month yet- even considering the short month this time. Taking into account that this is a much less popular story (for reasons I still can't explain) than One Hour, that's really not bad at all. :)  
In terms of action, this one's a little slow, especially when you take into account that it's eight pages long. However, it still has quite a bit happening, so it's worth a read, I think.  
Still, mostly set up leading to... something big. :) Read on!

**Chap. 14 Revelations in the Mist**

The next six weeks were hell for Ioka Toride. The training in itself was difficult, more stressful and strenous than his slave-driver Sensei had ever put her team through before. There was no let-up, no pause, no break. For six weeks, the longest break they had was the one night they were allowed six hours to sleep instead of four, half-way through the period.  
But despite the blood, sweat, tears, and pain that the three Genin had been through, despite the literal risk of losing life and limb in Training Ground Forty-four, commonly known as 'the forest of death', and even despite knowing he was alone- still- while his two teammates were happy with each other, those were only minor annoyances compared to the real issue that had been plaguing the seventeen-year-old Genin.

The short version was simple. He considered himself a 'man' in all but one way. He had killed, maimed, tortured (for one horrible hour that he never wanted to remember), _been_ tortured (that was less painful to remember, though still not pleasant, than torturing someone himself), and believed himself fully ready to die for his new country and Hidden Village, if that's what it took.  
But he was a virgin.  
The closest he'd ever been to a naked woman were the two times he'd seen his Sensei in total or near undress; the showers at the beach in River years earlier, and in the Rendo Hot Springs Inn room, where she had passed out sprawled across his own unconscious form with her in nothing but a bikini bottom. However, due to the 'talk' in the inn, he knew- had committed to memory with every fibre of his hormon-driven being at the time- _exactly_ what his Sensei looked like under said bikini. So while he'd been shocked to have her jump upright on the couch- one foot perilously close to his 'boys'- in her mostly-naked state, it truly was nothing he hadn't seen before.  
Unfortunately, the situation wasn't quite so clear-cut.  
If it had been, the young man would probably have been able to pull through it with his usual stubbornness and mental fortitude.

No, the problem was worse than that.

He'd come to realize, not so long ago, that his hormonal (he had, at first, _prayed_ that it was only that) desire for his immediate commanding officer and teacher was not just lust.  
No, he respected her too much for that, despite the undeniable fact that there was indeed a lot of lust there. Hanabi was a beautiful woman, one who, in his young mind, embodied grace, power, good looks, wisdom, and a caring heart bound by a will harder than steel. In short, the somewhat older woman was everything he desired in a companion; be it girlfriend, lover, wife, or even 'other'. She was desirable, so much so that he found he had literally no choice in the matter.  
As far as he could tell, he was madly in love with his sensei.

Of course, that wasn't, in itself, the problem.

_No_, he thought, distracted once again from the two-on-two spar, himself and Kinyue against Hanabi-sensei and Kenkei in a no-holds-barred match, _the problem is that Sensei won't even let me get close to her any more. She hardly talks to me, barely even looks at me. I think... I think she figured it out, she knows how I feel about her, and it disgusts her. Why would she, practically the embodiment of a Konoha Kunoichi, and a soon-to-be Clan Head, want to be with me? An outsider who wasn't even born in Konoha, no matter how loyal to the Leaf I am? Hell, even if she wanted to be, she probably couldn't. I'm pretty sure the Clan Laws of the Hyuuga prevent that kind of thing. She probably has to marry someone that'll bring strength to the Clan. What do I have that they don't? Nothing, that's what.  
So it's not like I can blame _-

Toride's musing were cut off by a flaming kunai embedding itself in his abdomen. Fortunately, his new train of thought observed something non-Hanabi related. _Oh, I'm so glad I bought those flame-retardent clothes last time..._

Then, just as his Sensei and other teammates reached his collapsing form, his vision went black.

(O)(O)(O)

"He's coming 'round," a cool female voice said, pulling Toride the rest of the way to consciousness. _Familiar... who is she? Not Sensei, not Kin, not Mom... I don't think it's Sakura- or Hinata-sama, either, but it's so..._

"Thanks, Ino."

_Oh..._

"No problem, Hanabi. Sakura said he'll be fine by tomorrow, so you won't have to miss the Chunin exams. The surgery really wasn't that bad, it just took a while to heal up the interior burns as we went. Wasn't really all that life-threatening, since you got him here so fast."

The Genin tried to say, "What happened?", but all that came out was a low groan of pain.

"Don't say too much," his Sensei's voice filtered through the new pain, her tone clipped and terse, "Ino's gone to get you an IV for fluids. Your throat's gonna be dry for a bit. The kunai burned two holes in your stomach, so you can't drink anything for a few more hours."

Forcing his eyes open in annoyance, Toride looked around. The hospital room was just like any other he'd been in in his ninja career, clean, white, and smelling slightly of disinfectant. Kinyue and Kenkei, the latter looking quite angry with himself, were sitting on the two chairs, watching silently. Their Sensei was standing by the foot of his bed, nearly white eyes flicking back and forth over his medical chart. When she put it back on the hook, she looked to the others, ignoring Toride, "You two take a few minutes. I'll be back with Ino, then I need to have some words with your teammate."

Even worse than the words she spoke, clearly warning him of her unhappiness with him, the fact that she didn't speak to him more than absolutely necessary told him that now he was in even worse trouble.

"Sorry, dude," Kenkei muttered, as soon as the door had clicked shut, "I really thought you were watching that one come in, I didn't think it'd hit you, or I wouldn't have used the fire on it. I... I'm really not trying to kill you, ya know."

Toride's mouth turned up in a small smile as he shrugged, then immediately morphed into a grimace of pain as the stitches in his stomach pulled. "Fuck... ow."

Kinyue giggled, "Must hurt a lot for you to curse. I don't think I've heard you say more than three swears the entire time we've known each other."

Toride looked away, frowning. "I swear a lot in my head. I just try to be polite in public. Ken, don't let it get to you. I know you didn't. It was my fault for being distracted. I _should_ have seen it coming, I was looking right at you while Kin was up against Sensei."

The younger teen frowned himself, but didn't respond. As much as he blamed himself, their sensei had drilled it into them to look at the _facts_, at _reality_, and the truth was... the older Genin was right. He should have dodged it, but didn't even move out of the way once he saw the projectile coming. He could have at least lessened the damage in that time by making it strike a less sensitive area than right in the navel.

"What had you so out of it, Tor?"

Kinyue's question was genuine and sincere, but he refused to answer for a few minutes, until he could hear Ino and Hanabi's conversation almst at the door, accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of Ino's heels on the tile floor of the hospital. "I just... Sensei. It's Sensei."  
The former Iwa teen wasn't sure why he'd let that secret slip, but was grateful that he hadn't said any more, and that his plan to not give the others time to respond had worked. Both looked quite frustrated as they rose silently, then both wished him a speedy and healthy recovery before they were due to leave tomorrow.  
A moment later, he, Ino, and Hanabi were alone in the room.  
Thirty seconds after that, with a quick change of the bag hanging by his bed and a quick scribble on his chart, Ino was gone as well, sparing him a kind smile as the blonde left.

Then Toride had part of his wish... he was alone, spending time with his Sensei.

Unfortunately, it wasn't how he'd prefer for that scenario to play out.

"You are _damned_ lucky you got a flaming kunai to the stomach instead of what I want to do to you right now, Ioka."

His eyes closed in shame without even really looking at her, but her next words nixed that plan.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Genin!"

Three years of obeying his super-scary Jonin Sensei's every hint of instruction had his terrified brown eyes looking right into her enraged, almost-pupil-less ones. He was forced to watch the muscles in her jaw work furiously, her lips twist in (somewhat unflattering) ways while she warred with herself about what exactly to say next.  
Unable to resist her command, the young man found himself watching his Sensei- a guilty, and rather strange pleasure, since he thought she was cute when angry, even if he was upset that said anger was directed at him this time- under her own orders for several minutes.

"I am extremely disappointed. I know you saw that coming in time to move. Being distracted was bad enough, but why didn't you move when you _did_ notice it?"

Inwardly cursing, for the first time, the Byakugan's ability to detect and read body language, Toride forced his expression to remain neutral. It took him a long time to get that much self-control back, when all he wanted to do was leap from the bed, fall on his knees, and beg for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry, Sensei. I just... for a moment, I wanted it to hit me. I wanted... I wanted to..."

The sharp intake of breath cut him off.  
"You wanted to make your _teammate_, your _brother_, kill you? Do you have any idea what that would do to the rest of your team?"

His tan face paled to nearly match his Sensei's fair complexion, but he said nothing.

Hanabi's arms crossed under her breasts, and she continued to stare at him in silence. Distantly, he was aware of the wind whistling through her flared nostrils. Just when he was about to break, though, she folded.  
All the fight and anger left her in a rush as tears welled in her eyes. She slumped forward, almost falling into the chair behind her, the one Kenkei had occupied minutes earlier. "Did you even think about what that would do to them? To me? _Why_? Why would you... I thought your parents had been leaving you alone?"

"They are," he said after a few second's wait, "I haven't seen them in weeks. It's just..."

But he couldn't say it. He dared not put it _out there_, not after her reaction to how they'd woken up in the Inn just under six weeks ago.

"If you can't give me a reason," she said a few minutes of silence later, "I'm going to have to hold you- and the team- back from the Exams, pending a psych eval. I need to know, Tor."

The level tone helped a lot, but... he _couldn't_.  
If for some reason... no, that wouldn't work. Using the excuse of 'if I don't pass, and have to stay on the team under Hanabi-sensei, it would be too awkward' just wouldn't work. Pass or fail, after the Exams, they were basically on their own.

Then again...

If that was the case, what was stopping him? He'd be damned if it was just relationship anxiety. He could deal with rejection. It wouldn't be the first time a girl had turned him down, even if... even if she meant more than every other girl he'd even kind of liked all at once. He could deal with it. He was tough. A shinobi. What was a broken heart, right?

"I... I couldn't take it anymore, Sensei."

She took a deep breath to calm herself, looked back up at him through wet eyes, though her voice was as steady as ever, "Couldn't take what?"

"How... how you were treating me. After the... after the Inn. I mean... At first, I thought you'd just shrug it off and pretend it'd never happened, but the way you were acting... it really hurt. I just... I just wanted it to stop. And for that split second, I didn't care _how_ it stopped, just that it did."

Toride expected anger, fury. He expected her to rage. A denial of returned affection, certainly. He did not expect his normally stoic (he had only seen her cry twice, and both times were under extreme emotional stress) team leader to burst into tears and sob into her hands for more than an hour, leaving him to sit, practically tied to the bed by three different IV's, and wonder what was going on.

(O)(O)(O)

The next day, Kenkei threw open the door of his hospital room and chucked Toride's pack- heavily loaded- onto the chairs, called, "Be right back, Tor!" to the older boy, who was obviously in the tiny bathroom, since the IV's were missing but the bed was still rumpled, and shut the door behind him.

A few minutes later, he returned, followed by his girlfriend, who carried a bundle of clothing suitable for standard ninja activity. That is to say, reinforced, armored, but still flexible and insulated, clothing. The stuff that every ninja in a temperate- if on the warm side- climate worse almost every day. "Here's your clothes, Tor! I'm gonna head back outside, there's an ice-cream vendor set up by the hospital doors. Sensei's out there now with our release-from-duty forms, so hurry and change!"

Just as she left, the door opened, revealing a half-dressed, half-hospital-gowned young man. "Pissing like this is for the birds, man."

Kenkei couldn't help but laugh at his friend's misfortune. One IV in each arm was bad enough, but the third was clearly set in Toride's right femoral artery, given where the tube was running.  
"It's not damned funny. Help me get my belt on. Just throw the rest back in the pack, would you? Ino-san's not gonna be here for another five minutes to take them out, but she says I need all the meds I can get before I leave to help fight off infection."

Snickering slightly, the younger shinobi helped his sempai tie up three belts and roll up the sleeves of his long-sleeved outer shirt and jacked so the medic, when she arrived, would be able to remove the needles with a minimum of fuss.

They had just done so when the pretty blonde arrived, her daughter and new husband in tow. "Hey, you two," she chirped, "ready to go?"

The bushy-eyebrowed, tall Tokubetsu Jonin smiled widely. "Yosh! Two more Chunin for Konoha's ranks, yes? Your youth is about to explode! I'm so happy!"

Before Ino's eye had finished twitching, Lee's adoptive daughter's hand met the back of his head with a resounding smack. "Quiet, dad. This is a _hostpital_. Show some restraint! It's bad enough at home!"

"Yes, of course my youthful flower! I'm just so excited to see more soon-to-be Chunin! It reminds me of my own two exams! ... though I hope you don't run into S-Class Nukenin in _your_ first exam, of course. That would be, in the words of my un-youthful friend, very troublesome."

Both quite familiar with the story due to their Sensei's circle of friends, the two Genin nodded as one, both suddenly more nervous than they had been the entire run-up so far.  
"They'll be fine," Ino said, rolling her blue eyes, "Hanabi's too good to turn out weaklings like you, Lee, and tougher than anyone except Neji."

While Lee cried in the corner over the 'subtle' insult, the two blondes wished the younger men very good luck, then sent them on their way.

As they left the hospital, Kenkei couldn't resist just one dig at his friend. "So, I noticed that Inoko didn't bother turning away while her mom removed the femoral IV. In fact, those pretty black eyes got pretty wide. You packing down there, or something? 'cause I think you have a new fan."

Toride snorted. "Inoko is very pretty, but she is _not_ my type.

(O)(O)(O)

For most of the eight days it took the seven ninja- all of Hanabi's team plus Team Hokage- Toride was only slightly better off than the previous six weeks, even figuring his two days in the hospital in that equation.  
On the one hand, his sensei seemed to have lost her anger at him during her sob-fest. On the other... she still wasn't talking to him. She was obviously upset about his revalation, but didn't seem angry about it. Not even really bothered, just... well, he didn't really know _what_ she was thinking, but she wouldn't meet his eyes for more than a few seconds, and that only when no one else was around. But despite all her vaunted Hyuuga self-control, when she did, she always had a slight flush to her cheeks.

But it was not his Sensei that finally broke the funk.

Nor the beautiful, even gorgeous, weather on their five-day boat trip, nor the sparkling water and bright sunshine that made the 'mist' part of Kirgakure seem like a myth as they strode toward the city, which was nestled in a deep bowl between several extinct volcanoes on the largest of Mizu's islands.

It was actually Yamanaka (she refused to go by "Rock" despite being adopted, and hated "Uchiha" even more) Inoko.

Out of the blue, she had asked as the group was gathered around the fire whether he'd ever been on a proper date.

While he had immediately blushed, sputtering while the others (even Hanabi) laughed, he was unable to give an honest 'yes', so said nothing.

However, the Sharingan-wielding Yamanaka knew quite enough about body language to get the truth out based on his reactions- as would anyone with a brain. "So that's a no. Well... since we've got a few days before the Exam starts, let's go spend a day together, just you and me."

Hanabi didn't miss the frown that wandered across her Genin's features before he slowly nodded, forcing a smile onto his face. She also did not miss how her own heart seemed to stop beating for a moment before seeing that frown, and then how it clenched, deep and cold, in her chest when he agreed.

However, the Jonin was _not_ aware enough at that point to see the wily smile pass between the Hokage's students, nor the pointed looks in her direction. In fact, Kinyue was the only member of Hanabi's team to catch the glances.

So, when Tenchi woke an already-awake Kinyue for her turn at watch, the young teen grinned at the older kunoichi and whispered, "Your plan- I want in, or I spill it to Hanabi-sensei tomorrow."

Logically, the earth-specialist Aburame could find no reason to deny the request even without the threat. "We'll need your help in Mizu. Ask Inoko for the full plan, it was her idea."

Nodded, the Genin rose from her bedroll, stretched, and moved out of her and Kenkei's tent to take up the still-warm log by the fire.

(O)(O)(O)

"I could get used to this," the once-again-blonde kunoichi said, stretching to give her 'date' an eyefull. She was a bit disappointed when he wasn't looking at her as she resumed a normal position. She'd been baiting him for hours, first in the markets, then as they browsed for clothing- suitable for both ninja and civilians- and even more so at the small beach they were currently resting at before heading back into town for dinner. He'd been attentive, polite, and she'd had fun... he had been a good date, overall. But no, even without her plan, she wouldn't have wanted a second one with this young man. He was simply too taciturn for her, and he _obviously_ wasn't all that attracted to her, absolute babe that she was or not.

_Poor kid's so hung up about 'Sensei-sama', I wouldn't stand a chance. But that look in her eyes... I haven't been that scared since Sakura found out about me trying to put the moves on Naruto when I was a kid. At least Hinata thought it was funny... I still don't want to think about how she'd have reacted if we'd told her back then, though. She's a lot calmer with kids._

"You know, Toride, I'm not really interested in a relationship with you."

He sighed, brought his knees up to his chest and put him chin on them, still staring out over the ocean, before replying. "I know. I'm not interested in you, either."  
"Well... don't _you_ know how to make a girl feel special."  
He glared at her teasing tone, but said nothing, only returned to watching the waves. After a minute, he replied, "I'm not interested in a fling, either."

This time, Inoko actually laughed. "Neither am I, duh. You haven't figured out why I asked you out, huh?"

Frowning, Toride turned to look at his 'date' for the first time in what seemed like half the day, his eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

She rolled her eyes at his 'intimidation'. Larger, stronger, maybe, the young man still had no chance against her. While the same age, she had two years' more experience, had been a Chunin when he just became a Genin, and had two powerful Clan's techniques to back it up. But... there was no reason to be mean. She_ was_ trying to help, after all.

"Hinata asked us, a few years back, to keep an eye out for potential boyfriends for her sister. Hanabi... well, Hinata knows about her past with Kiba-san, though she wouldn't tell us how she knew. She knows Hanabi's... well, 'unique' is as good a word as any, I guess, in what she wants in a relationship. She's never really dated, never really been a kid... at least, not since Kiba. But she's also not one for casual flings, though I'm sure Kiba wasn't the last."

Toride's eyes narrowed further, but she wouldn't let up. "Grow up, Toride. It's obvious to me how you feel about her, but glowering that she's not a virgin is going to accomplish nothing but make you mad. She's older, and a kunoichi. It's practically _expected_ that she's not a virgin any more, Clan Heiress or no."

His already tan skin darkened further in a deep blush, making the kunoichi roll her eyes. "Oh, seriously. Just because you're still a virgin doesn't mean everyone has to be. You know I never approved of your teammate's relationship two years ago, but now? Nothing wrong with it. Just because it's not the path I chose, or that you seem to be choosing, doesn't mean it's right for everyone. Look... we're getting off-subject, here."

"What _is_ your point, then, Yamanaka-san?"

If she hadn't known the Genin for more than two years, now, she would have been annoyed at his apparently formal tone. But she knew he hid a very tender heart behind that gruff formality, and it was just that sort of thing that Hanabi both wanted and needed- both on a personal level, and more lately, as a potential mate, especially with the recent announcement about old Hiashi retiring soon.  
"Simple. You want your Sensei. You might even really love her. That's the impression I'm getting, anyway. But you're scared, feel inadequate, and so on. She's an Heiress, will be taking over soon, even, she's older, wiser, stronger, prettier, and so on. You _should_ feel inadequate, maybe."

He grunted, but Inoko only continued.

"But that does _not_ mean you have no chance. Have you even guessed as to why she's treating you the way she is?"

"She's mad at me."

Inoko snorted. "No, she's not mad at you, stupid. She's _terrified_ of you."

This time, it was the male who snorted. "Why? She'd kick my ass if I tried anything. No reason to be scared, 'cause I wouldn't anyway. I respect her too much. How did you figure out my problem so easy, but completely miss the target on that one? Your kunai might need a little polish."  
Raven-black eyes narrowed at the roundabout (and seven years out-of-date) insult, but she ignored it verbally, choosing instead to smack his shoulder as she answered, "I _didn't_. I'm good with emotions because of my training, but it was Hinata who pointed this out to me. She's right, though. One hundred percent. Hanabi is deathly afraid of you."

"You still haven't answered why."

Inoko drew herself up into the same position Toride was in before replying quietly, "The same reason you're afraid of her, but for her, it's even worse. You've been alone for a long time," she now had to speak over his grunt of denial, "but Hanabi was even more alone for... for a long time. It took her years to learn to open up to someone, but as soon as she opened up to two people, one practically abandoned her, and the other used her in the worst way."

"Who?"  
Inoko inwardly crowed with joy at the sudden protectiveness and promise of pain in the Genin's voice, but didn't react except to say, "Hinata and Kiba, of course. She opened up to Hinata, and then Hinata immediately got married and moved away. Abandonment. She opened up to Kiba, looking for solace from that pain, then screwed each other a few times, and then they simultaneously- as near as I can figure, anyway- decided it wouldn't work and left. So both thought they other was using them. You see the problem?"

The brown-haired young man was a long time answering. "No. I mean... I can see how that would mess you up, but... I can't identify with it, you know?"

Inoko nodded, "Yeah... I'm kind of glad I can't identify myself. But maybe I can help you understand better. Hanabi's kind of learned to open up now. Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Neji, and my mom are her only friends, but they're all several years older. She knows us, and we get along, but we aren't really friends, you know? Associates, we hang out occasionally, but there's not a lot of... well, not a strong _connection_. Mostly that's on her, just 'cause she's so quiet and so on, but my point is, she doesn't really have any peers. There aren't any decent ninja in her age group aside from her, so she's made do with older people... but again, no decent ninja in her age group, so who's she going to date? Practically no one. Older? Kiba and her get along a lot better now, but their history pretty much prevents them from having a relationship now. Not to mention, Kiba wants to take over the Inuzuka, and Hana-san seems willing to let him when their mom retires. Shino and Hanabi? Yeah, right. Lee's taken, obviously. Neji's got Tenten, and they're first cousins anyway. Naruto? That'd never work, with Hinata, even not taking into account Sakura too. And she couldn't put up with him long-term. Seriously, there isn't anyone in their age group or even one above it suitable. That leaves pretty much you guys. Convenient, the way she seems to feel."

Confused by the long, but rapidly-delivered list of 'no's', it took Toride a second to process the shift in conversation.  
"But... what?"

Inoko sighed. "You're kind of dumb when it comes to women, aren't you?"

Frowning, Toride tried to retort but was talked over by the kunoichi.  
"Listen, just... listen. I'm gonna spell this out for you in ways that any ninja should understand. If you don't get it this way, there's no hope for you. Okay? Can you listen and pay attention?"

He nodded slowly, scowling. Inoko watched him for a few seconds to measure his determination to do just that before beginning.  
"You like Hanabi-sensei, right? Like, _really like-like_?"

Slowly, cautiously, he nodded.

"And... she likes you, like _really-like-likes_ you. Whether you believe it or not, it's true. She's scared because of her depth of feelings for you, because of the natural fear of rejection- your fear- and even fear of what others would think if they found out she had a major jonesing for a younger man, and even worse, a man with no Clan background, and on top of _that_, someone not native to Konoha. While _she_ obviously has no problem with any of that, she's not sure what others would think."

"I still haven't seen any proof of-"

Inoko's hand flashed out to cover his mouth without even turning her eyes toward him. "Don't need proof. You don't need it at all. Just trust me, trust Hinata. Even more, trust Hanabi. _Watch_ her, watch how she looks at others, and watch how she looks at you- especially when she thinks no one's looking."

He snorted this time for real, "She's _always_ watching for that, I've never been able to watch her without her knowing."

Glad he'd finally come out with that admission, Inoko was glad for the confirmation of her verbal victory, even if he didn't know it yet. "I guess there's your proof, then."  
"My- what?" Honestly, Toride was tired of this conversation. He hated feeling like a moron, but... he had to know, had to understand what the kunoichi was getting at.

Still smiling, Inoko answered, "Proof, silly. She knows you watch her, being a Hyuuga, she also knows what that means- whether she wants to admit it consciously or not- but she's never stopped you, never said a word. Even when she had a chance to do it privately, she's never stopped you, right?"

With a sigh, Toride agreed, but... "there was one time. Six weeks ago, but... it was kind of, um... unusual."

Inoko smirked, but hid it with her elbow, "You saw her naked?"  
His flush, visible even in the growing darkness, gave her all the answer she needed. "So just show her what you're packing, and you're even. Then you can move along on even footing."

His sputter didn't drown out her giggles. "Look, Toride, just trust me on this. She wants you as bad as you want her, even if she can't admit it to herself just yet. Give her some time, let her think about it a bit longer. Don't mope around, you don't need the distraction right before the Exams. Do well, and you're- if nothing else- at least proving that you're mature enough to be in a relationship with an older woman. Chunin may not mean much in ages, but it means a lot in maturity."

"But she's still an Heiress, and-"

"Bah!"

Both jumped. Distracted, even the more experienced Chunin hadn't caught Kamisori's stealth as he snuck up behind them, padding silently across the sand. The tall, gray-haired Chunin scowled at the others, "Hanabi's getting a little annoyed that your date's taking so long, probably ought to get back soon. We're due to register by oh-eight-hundred tomorrow, so get some rest."

The others rose to walk back with the medic-assassin, and were almost there when Toride worked up the nerve to ask the older young man- who he honestly was starting to idolize in many ways- to explain his dismissal of the question he'd interrupted.  
"Not that hard to understand. Tenchi's not gonna be a Clan Heiress unless half of the Aburame get wiped out, but even though my Clan's small I get this. Basically... she's got this role cut out for her, one way to live and die for the rest of her life. Be a ninja, train a team, retire from active duty, lead the clan, get married, pop out some heirs, and she's done. Everything in her life is set out from here on. She hates it... she's pretty independant. She wants one thing, just one, to be _her_ choice. And damned if she's not gonna get it, too."

"But what's that thing?"  
The two teammates shared a knowing look before Kamisori continued to explain, "She has to get married. Has to produce heirs. But there's actually no Hyuuga law that insists on in-Clan marriages for the head family. In fact, they discourage it too much. They need new blood to keep their lines fresh, and the Byakugan is a dominant trait, so they really don't have to worry about it anyway. Notice how all of Hinata's kids have it, even though all of Sakura's have blue eyes but one? Naruto's eyes are dominant, but the Byakugan wins out over it. They can use anyone and still have strong members. So from that point of view, what difference does it make who she chooses?"

"But they always arrange-"

"And they're going to turn down the Clan Heiress' pick? That's a good way to have a happy life after she takes over. Ruin her one chance at real happiness. Yeah... the Hyuuga aren't stupid."

Tenchi's voice coming from the now-dark jungle surprised only Toride, but he had to acknowledge- at least intellectually- that the Aburame was right.

Still, there was one niggling thought that kept him from resting well that night. _How did all three of the Hokage's team know about this, anyway? Are Sensei and I the subject of a huge rumor, or something?_

(O)(O)(O)

Fortunately for the young man's mental state, the next day thoroughly distracted him from his troubles with romance. It turns out that, 'friendly' or not, even allied villages have a bit of trouble registering for the Chunin exams every six months.

The resulting paperwork- largely due to prevent an international incident as a result of a squad of Oto ninja causing problems because of their historical 'disagreement' with Konoha- took from nearly sunup to sundown to finish. As a result, their team, Konoha's only entrants this time, were the very last team to register in a field of dominantly Kiri, but with several representatives each from Iwa, Kumo, Suna, and even a few from Ame, Kusa, Taki, and even a team from Frost, who hadn't had a Chunin Exam team entry in decades.

All in all, as Hanabi observed to her team the night before the first exam, this was shaping up to be a very entertaining year.

**A/N2:** Again, not much to say, so I'll be brief. Yes, this means that Toride and Hanabi's relationship is shortly going to be 'outed' to everyone, don't expect a quick end to it all. The story itself still has quite a lot of unresolved issues, and their growing romance is, while a large chunk of those issues are involved with the overall plot, they aren't going to be totally 'resolved' until near the end. There's gonna be tension and drama till it's all over. :)

Lastly, while I VERY much appreciate the (relatively) large number of reviews for the last chapter, I still have more than a hundred readers per chapter- and I got three reviews. 3% isn't a lot, when one is used to 10-20%. So everyone, PLEASE review!  
Unless you really think this story sucks, in which case... why are you reading it?


	15. Chapter 15: 1st Exam: Put up or shut up!

**A/N:** Hi all! Sorry about the long wait, but I've been quite ill lately (pneumonia), and it's taking all I've got to continue getting up and going to work. For those of you who read my AN's frequently, you know that I 'can't' afford to miss work, so... working sick it is. Anyway, it's been a while, but not terribly so. In addition, slightly longer than average (5.5) pages.  
Also, no, this is not your typical Chunin Exam. It's entirely my own creation, expect it to have similarities in purpose to Konoha's- but be quite different. The philosophy of Konoha vs Kiri is, after all, not exactly identical. Enjoy!

**Chap. 15 The first stage: Put up, or shut up!**

"All right, you three. This is it. The big one. Blah, blah, blah. You've heard all of this before, and you're either about to crack under the stress, or you're handling it just fine."

All three of the genin nodded, standing at attention before their sensei in a row with their chunin escort at ease to the side. Their sensei continued to pace in rigid military fashion before them, scanning each of them for the slightest sign of weakness as she spoke. "But _I_ trained you, damn it, and I trained you to handle stress. You're blooded, each of you, and you know what the real world is like. You are not going into this blind, are you?"

Now, each of them shook their heads with a collective, "No, Sensei!"

Hanabi nodded curtly, spinning in front of Kinyue to return in Toride's direction. "Kiri typically does not do the same kind of exams that Konoha does. You will still be tested, possibly beyond your breaking point. If that becomes the case, I do _not_ want to hear you bitching about it later. I want you to get stronger, so that next time, you succeed. However, I would rather you face these challenges like I know you can. Like the Konoha Ninja that you are. You are the _elite_, and you have been since your first real mission. The best team of Genin to come out of our village in five years. True? False?"

There was a moment's silence, broken only when Inoko's irreverent giggles broke it. Hanabi whirled to glare at her, but the damage was done.  
"Come on, Sensei," Kenkei said, trying hard to stifle his own laugh, "Get real. You know damned well how hard we've trained for this. We aren't going to puke out right before the exams. We're gonna ace 'em all. Right, team?"

Hanabi, who had spun once again to fix her cold, ice-white eyes on the tallest member of her team for his 'insubordinate attitude', relaxed at once, actually allowing a small smile to grace her lips before she resumed in a calmer fashion while the other two nodded their agreement.  
"Well... all right, you get my point. I have faith in you. I believe you can win. Now, I want a quick word with each of you privately... say, over there by the stream. No eavesdropping, any of you. This is _private_. Keep your bugs off us, Tenchi."

The Amurame gave a wane smile and lifted a hand. Several small, dark shapes rose from the surrounding ninja- two or three each- to climb back up into her sleeve. Hanabi's eyes rolled. "Come on, Kin, you first."

"What's up, Sensei?"

Hanabi flashed a bit of chakra to her eyes for a moment, scanning for eavesdroppers- just in case. She knew she could trust Tenchi, and Kiri was an allied nation, but you could never be too cautious. Oto and Iwa were still around, after all, and Kumo still wasn't on the best terms with Konoha, and the Hyuuga in particular, despite Omoi's actions a few years ago and Karui's marriage to Akimichi Choji.  
"You're the weak link in your team. Do your best, do _not_ let your boyfriend and team leader down. Do you hear me? If I find out they failed because of you, I will personally make your life a living hell. Do you understand me?"

Kinyue shivered at the tone of her sensei's voice. It was one she hadn't heard since, years before, she had been caught in a 'heavy petting session' with Kenkei. She nodded weakly, "Y- yes, Sensei. I won't let you down."

"See that you don't. Now go get your gear."

Suddenly terrified, the teen rushed out of the hotel's courtyard, tears already streaming down her face.  
"Ken."

As he ambled over, Hanabi was pleased to see his protective nature was already coming into play, although he hid it under a carefully-crafted mask of ambivalence. "What's up, Sensei?"

It didn't escape her notice that he had echoed his girlfriend's words, even tone, almost exactly. "You are the weak link on your team. I am almost expecting you to fail, to drag your team down with you. If that happens, you are to cut yourself off. They will still have a chance, even without you. Is that clear?"

The well-disguised anger in Kenkei's demeanor flashed to the surface at once. "Of _course_, Sensei. I would never to anything to hurt my team's chances. Is that all?"  
She gave him a cool, curt nod, and he stalked away after his girlfriend.

As the taller shinobi passed the shorter, he paused to exchange a few words. Toride nodded once, then moved over to take his turn.  
As he joined her, Hanabi was pleased to feel the ground rattle under the force of the courtyard door slamming shut. Several late sleepers were undoubtedly woken by the noise.

"Sensei?"

Hanabi's attention returned to the one she'd been avoiding the most for the last while. _His beard's really starting to come in. He's going to need to shave daily, or just about, from here on out._ "You already know everything you need to become a Chunin, Toride. Do your best, and you will disappoint no one."

He froze, forcibly biting back what she knew had to have been a scathing retort. "S- Sensei?"

She shrugged, "Were you expecting something else?"

He stammered for a moment, then forced out a denial.  
Hanabi smiled, "Then what's the problem? Oh, and... It's a little late today, but before tomorrow's exam starts, you ought to shave. Starting to look a little scruffy, there, Ioka."

Toride nodded, but took her sudden shift in tone for the dismissal it was. He bowed quickly, then turned to jog after his teammates to finish his morning preparations. After he'd left, the three experienced Chunin met Hanabi in the middle of the courtyard as she walked slowly back to her own room.

"Any particular reason you brought one of your team to tears, another to a near-homicidal rage, and let the third go with a laugh?"  
Hanabi was not surprised by Kamisori's question. "'course there was. Your sensei tested you. He damned near broke you. I don't approve of that method. I have been testing my team in a lesser fashion for three years, and they have not broken. I have, however, learned their weaknesses- and how to manipulate them."

Tenchi nodded wisely, "So you did it to make them face their fears?"

Hanabi nodded, "Partially. Mostly... I told them what they needed to hear. It's kind of weird, that's the first time I've ever lied to my team... any of them, much less all of them."

Inoko laughed out loud, probably waking the few residents of the hotel who had been lucky enough to get back to sleep.

(O)(O)(O)

"We don't have time for this bullshit, Kin," Toride was saying as the older ninja gathered around the Genin's door- they had been forced to share a room due to the influx of visitors for the third stage's traditional kumite-style bouts.  
"Fuck off, Toride," Kenkei's yell was far louder than was strictly necessary, but the older Genin seemed to take it in stride.

"Not gonna happen, Ken. You know damned well I'm right. Sensei's always had our backs, no matter what. So she told both of you you're the weak link. Well, guess what? She told me I knew everything I needed. She lied to us. All of us. Get over it! We're ninja, not pathetic kids! If you can't handle being lied to, being hurt, then you don't deserve to be here. That's what I'm taking out of this, no matter what words she used!"

Tenchi gave a low whistle of what sounded like respect, which made Hanabi grin. "See? I told you it was what they needed to hear. He's actually stepping up and _leading_ now, even though the others are actively resisting. That's what makes a good team. Worked much the same way for you guys, right? I'm pretty sure you didn't appreciate being told what to do by the baby of your team when she first got promoted."

Inoko had to stifle a laugh while the others shared a mournful look, telling Hanabi all she needed to know.  
Meanwhile, the drama inside continued.  
"I! Don't! Care!" Kinyue's shrill voice resounded throughout the corridor. A few doors opened up, worried, scared, or annoyed faces- a few of them ninja Hanabi recognized from the registration queue- stared at the group of eavesdropping Konoha ninja. Before she could do more than smile with a finger to her lips, though, the sound of a scuffle broke out in the Genin's room.  
A smack of flesh on flesh, a masculine roar of rage, flesh on wood- not the other way around- and then flesh on cloth with a squeak of rusted spring-metal, followed by silence.  
Hanabi was about to go in and investigate when Toride's voice, hardly altered by what must have been an intense few seconds, reached them loud and clear. "Maybe Sensei _didn't_ lie. If you guys can't handle this, then you aren't ready for Chunin. If you can get your heads screwed on straight, I'll see you at the exams."  
Before the older ninja could react, the door was flung open. Toride, weapons and equipment pouches strewn about his person and in full armor- equivalent to the more expensive Suna body armor- stood before them, obviously angry. He didn't have a mark on him. Without a word, or a glance in anyone's direction, he shouldered past them and was on his way.  
A moment later, Kamisori, his designated 'escort' for the day, followed after.

Before the door swung shut on it's own, Hanabi caught a glimpse of a red-cheeked Kinyue, and a black-eyed Kenkei holding each other on the floor between a couch which was oddly lopsided and a wooden chair which had shattered under Ken's weight.  
"Should we...?"  
Hanabi shook her head at Inoko's half-question. "No... it's got to be their decision. Everyone has to decide for themselves if Chunin is what they want, what they deserve. Toride's obviously made his. If they leave the room, follow, obviously, but otherwise, just leave 'em alone."

Tenchi and Inoko nodded, sharing a knowing glance, then took up positions on either side of the door as a few of Tenchi's bugs slipped from the cuff of her pants, down her sandals, and under the door.  
"Sorry about the noise, everyone. Just making sure my team is really ready for this... you know how rookies are!"

There were several glares, but more than a few understanding nods, from the other ninja. Most returned to their rooms, getting ready for the first exam.

(O)(O)(O)

"Sit down and shut up, you little worms!"

The proctor's tone was harsh, almost cruel, but it made the only Konoha Genin present smile. Good times with their Sensei. True, the burly, hulking and scarred man looked nothing like their Sensei, but the words and the tone were almost identical. "Drill sergeant seems fairly standard in any Hidden Village, I guess," Toride quipped, earning him a harsh glare from the proctor, though he said nothing.  
Instead, the big man's dark gray eyes scanned the room continually. "My name is Kadan Gouki. If you have questions, you are to refer to me as Gouki-sensei."

He paused a moment, as if to give the Chunin hopefuls a chance to earn his displeasure, before resuming, "I don't know what you've heard about Chunin Exams in your home villages, or even if you're from Kiri. This year... things are different. The old examiners are all out of the rotation, which means a fresh new crop, and fresh new tests for each of you to fail. I am the examiner for the first trial. A ninja's first responsibility is stealth. Their second is gathering information. To that end, your first test will require a combination of those two. There are no secrets here- what I am telling you is exactly what you will need to do. No hidden motives, agendas, or otherwise. Questions?"

Again, he paused to look around the room. Toride wondered, distantly, if the large man's hair was naturally gray, like Kamisori's, or if he was really that much older than his unlined (aside from the scars) face would suggest.

"Here are your instructions, then. As a team, you are to procure one of these bells," he gestured to a box sitting on the desk before him, "as you turn in your registration papers. Once you have done so, you will leave this building. Go out into the city, enjoy yourself for an hour. It'll likely be the last hour some of you will ever enjoy. Once you hear the klaxon- you'll know it when you hear it- the actual test will begin. At that point, you will be required to take possession of another team's bell, and then return with at least two to this room, where I will be waiting to give you the results. Basically, if you have at least two bells, you pass. If you fail to return in another hour after the klaxon, or you do not have the required two bells, you fail. Yes, that means at least half of you will not be making it to the second stage. Any questions?"

This time, a nervous Toride raised his hand.  
"Go ahead, Konoha."

The Genin stood, "My teammates haven't arrived yet. If I can bring back the bell alone, will they be allowed to continue, or will it be me alone?"

Gouki gave an almost malicious grin, "So much for Konoha's teamwork, huh? Just as self-serving as the rest of us, I see. No... they have until the last bell is handed out to turn in their paperwork, just like the rest. That does bring up a good point, though. This is a _team_ excercise. However, a team will have varying sizes. Sometimes there will be more, sometimes less. Make do with what you have. If Konoha, here, ends up being a solo team for the rest of his short exam, then he's got to do what he can with what he has. Work with what you have. Oh... and pray your little friends show up in time."

Toride scowled and sat down amidst the laughter of at least half of the rest of the room.

_Still... nothing like a little misdirection to take the heat off..._

Six minutes later, Toride stood before the husky proctor. "Sir, here's my paperwork. I'll just grab my bell, then... too bad for my team, but they should've been here on-"

He was interrupted by the door being flung open, and a breathless, still flushed, Kinyue rushed through. She practically threw her paperwork at the proctor, who had to scramble even with Jonin-level reflexes to catch them before they scattered on the floor. Behind her, Kenkei came in, just as breathless, but working to control his speed and breathing as he handed the papers as calmly as he could to the waiting proctor. "Sorry we're late. Oto... the second time they've attacked us before the exams even start."

Toride's eyes rolled. He knew very well what'd made them late, and Oto had not been it- the only team had been here when he walked in. But the proctor seemed not to care, so... "Glad you could make it, guys. I got our bell, let's get out of here. I'll explain the rules on the way."

Two minutes later, as the trio were leaving the ninja academy, modelled after Konoha's own, their discussion of the rules was interrupted by a blood-curdling shriek of rage from behind them. A loud guffaw by the proctor gave them a chance to smile all the same, though. "Sorry," they could hear him through an open window, "looks like the last bell's gone. You will just have to get two! That's what you get for being last to draw."

"Come on, guys, let's find somewhere quiet... how about the roof? We need to talk." Kenkei, still quite annoyed at Toride for slapping his girlfriend (less so about being pushed to sit down _through_ a chair), grumbled his assent before the three began to walk easily up the wall, avoiding the windows while trying to keep an eye out for anyone watching them.

"Well, we've got two hours to kill, more or less."

"What do you mean?" Kinyue asked, "Don't we need to get a bell? We'll have to steal one from another team or take one down."

Toride shrugged, "Already did. I wasn't going to try it, but you guys were the perfect distraction... the Jonin proctor and the Chunin assistants were all looking right at you. Two bells went to no bells in the box. Easy as pie."  
As he finished speaking, Toride fished the two tiny objects, each the size of a marble, from one of this supply pouches, handing one each to his teammates. "There ya go. Keep 'em safe and we're home free."

"D... Don't you want to keep them, Tor?"  
Toride, already relaxing against the air conditioner, or whatever the large box on the roof was, cracked open one eye again, "Why? I'm the leader, people would expect me to carry one. Besides, you guys can hold your own. You'll be fine. Wake me up if we're about to be attacked, will you?"

The couple's grumbling was oddly reassuring to Toride, allowing him to drift off much sooner than he'd have expected. Of course, the many sleepless nights previous had not helped either.

(O)(O)(O)

Distantly, Toride mused that waking up with a shooting pain in your abdomen was never a good sign. He cracked one eye, as small as he could, then sent a burst of earth-natured chakra into the building, checking for minute variations in pressure. _Five shadows, five weights beside my own. Three people here, no sounds of struggle. They brought down or neutralized both of my teammates without waking me up. And it hurts to breath... that kunai wound was supposed to have healed already. Damn it!_

"Wake up, kiddo, we know you've got the bells."

The voice was unfamiliar, but the laugh that followed it was not. It reminded him, vaguely, of a screech he'd heard an hour or so before. "So you're the Iwa team that got stiffed, huh? Sucks to be you guys, but we don't have the extra bell. Wish I'd have thought of it, though. That'd be the easy way for sure."

"You've still got at least one. We get that, and all we have to do is wait for one of the weaker teams to return and take theirs. Easy enough."

Toride shrugged, causing the pain in his stomach to spike again. Annoyed now, he opened his eyes and looked down. Yep, a kunai in the gut. Not deeply enough to kill, but certainly enough to aggravate a recently-healed wound. He sighed, causing the kunai to twist again. With a grimace, he slowly stood.  
"No sudden moves, now. Just the bell."

Toride nodded, "Yep. I give you the bells, you let my team go. We'll have to work harder, but we can still get two."

The taller male of the Iwa team frowned, but nodded, "Good, I was hoping you'd ask for that. I've got a bone to pick with you in the later rounds, _Ioka_."

Toride frowned, "Sorry... do I know you?"

The other Stone ninjas looked to their apparent leader, "Hura, who's this kid to you? Doesn't look like he could've been involved in-"

"Shut up!" the taller said furiously, "He probably wasn't! But that doesn't mean I'm not taking my revenge anyway! You and me, Ioka, in the finals. It's going to happen, and I'm going to publicly humiliate you for what your family did. And then I'm going to kill you, with your sensei watching. Just like your family killed my sensei while I watched."

Now thoroughly confused, Toride could only nod solemnly as he tried to catch his own team's eyes to- hopefully- get his plan across. No such luck, though.

"The _bell_, Ioka! Now!"

The situation, Toride thought, was entirely untenable. His teammates each had a kunai to their throats from behind, and he had one in his gut with an obviously skilled ninja with a personal grudge against him or his family ready to stick him again, in a lower, more sensitive place. _Time to change the situation, then, isn't it? Buckle up, kiddies, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!_

Despite the stress of the situation, that strangely detached part of Toride's mind- the part that spoke in his Sensei's voice- continued to muse about his only workable plan. _It's probably a good thing that a henge is much harder to detect when they're shown what they're expecting to see..._  
Two smoke bombs, one yellow, one white, were given the appearance of the bells, which happened to be the same size. He held them both out slowly and dropped them into the angry Iwa shinobi's hand, then immediately slapped them onto the ground, causing them to burst.

As the smoke filled the area, he heard two distinct, though nearly simultaneous, thunks and cringed for the safety of his teammates. But he would not allow himself to be distracted. As quickly as he could, Toride drew a kunai and covered it in wind chakra, moving as quickly and sharply as he could make it, before throwing it straight through the area where the Iwa ninja had been standing.

After two seconds that felt like an hour, he called, "Clear?"

His apprehension drained away in staggering amounts with each of the two return calls.  
Another quick wind jutsu to clear the smoke away revealed only his team and the ruins of two smoke bombs on the roof, as well as his kunai embedded in the motor of an industrial-sized fan, which was now sparking and whining. "They're gone," he muttered, "Oh well. One kunai and two smoke bombs down... first test almost over. Not too bad."

Kinyue, pulling out her first aid kit, moved to stand in front of Toride, "And another hole in your belly. I don't think we made out so well."

Toride shrugged, sharing a resigned glance with Kenkei, "Eh. The plan was good, not my fault if we got found anyway."

"Yeah... Any idea why that guy was after you, Tor?"

"No idea, Ken. Don't think I've ever seen him before. But they were the ones behind us, so they have a reason to hate me for that if nothing else. They might've even seen me take the second bell. Hope they don't make it to stage three... if they do, we're likely to have problems."

He was about to ask Kenkei to check the time when Kinyue none-to-gently removed the kunai from his torso.

"Oww..."

**A/N2:** You like? Let me know! Seriously, I've read maybe a hundred Chunin Exams... and maybe, _maybe_, two unique ones. I'm pretty sure there's only been one- and that was in the ever-popular "Chunin Exam Day", so... again, not that unique.  
For those that need a bit more explanation: It's a combination search-and-destroy and search-and-recover. Get the stolen plans back, kill the invading ninja, etc. It's a mock-up of a real mission, the only differences being that there are multiple targets instead of one, and any one will do. That makes it easy. What makes it harder... any of those targets are also potentially after you. Good stress test!

Anyway, Kadan Gouki- he's an OC, but I'll likely be using him later for something, probably not a throwaway. Goukikadan (one word) means "Dauntless". Kadan being his surname, and Gouki being his personal, of course- I cut it in half and put it in the "Japanese order". Simple. :)  
As always, let me know what you think, please! I need lots more reviews for this story. ;)

And as a final note, yes, I have found out how to post through the "Error2" message. If you're looking for that info, feel free to PM me (or, if you must, 'review' to ask me...).


	16. Chapter 16: 2nd:The Price of being Ninja

**A/N:** Again, I'm very sorry about the wait... but that's two chapters of this since my more-popular One Hour gets a chapter, so no whining. :)  
Seriously, though, it's been terrible. A relapse of the pneumonia- apparently caused by a massive throat/sinus/ear infection that came back stronger than before and is only now just going away, two months later- followed by being out of a job (again) has seriously cut into my ability to write. It's easier for me to find time when I'm working than when I'm spending all day at my computer _looking_ for work. So if anyone knows of anything in the central Utah area... like, Utah County or south Salt Lake... I'm up for almost anything. Lol

In continuation of second A/N to last chapter: I have now read three new- and I mean unique- Chunin Exams besides my own and Chunin Exam Day. So grats to those authors, one of whom is the quite-skilled and frequently-updating (like, every few days he puts up something, sometimes for a couple stories at a time) Kenchi618. If you haven't read anything of his, do it. He's a _really_ good author. Top 5 on the site, IMHO- and I don't make that list, for what it's worth. Top 10 for me. :D

**Chap. 16 Second Stage: The Price of being Ninja**

"Now that the time is up, those of you that have gotten a second bell can come forward and present them. Be warned, now is _not_ the time to try and fool the examiners with a fake. We _will_ notice, and you _will_ fail."  
Next to Hanabi's team, a single genin gulped nervously, fighting to hold back a bigger give-away. Moments later, he and his team had been dismissed, since the burly, scarred proctor had naturally called that team up first.

Kinyue, flanked by her male teammates, put out her hand with the two bells slowly, eyes roving to either side as if she expected them to be taken from her right in front of the proctor. _Glad she thought of it,_ Toride mused, _'cause I sure as hell didn't... I bet someone else is, though._  
It almost looked as if Kadan Gouki, the large, scarred man who was the proctor for the first exam, was amused by the kunoichi's hesitance. When he growled, "Now, please," though, there was no hint of any such positive emotion.

With a gulp, Kinyue dropped the bells into his waiting hand. It closed, his eyes followed, and then opened a moment later as he dropped them into the box below. "Konoha passes, too."  
With a sigh and a smile he couldn't restrain, Toride led his suddenly-giddy- if quietly so- team toward the furthest corner, where most of those who'd already passed seemed to be migrating. _Probably to keep the examiners to think we're passing along extra bells, or something... still, if it works, why fix it?_ "Told you guys we'd be okay. Sensei knows what she's doing."

Both of the younger ninja scowled, but the older could see the grudging acceptance in their eyes, and the way their posture changed, just a little, with that acceptance. "So, what do you think the second exam's going to be?"  
The group split their time between discussing the issue themselves and listening in on the subdued conversations around them, each team covering the same subject, for several minutes as the rest of the passing teams came forward.  
In the end, only twenty-two of the sixty-seven entered teams had progressed past the first stage. That fact seemed to throw the fear of Kami-or worse- into the vast majority of the remaining Genin. Hanabi's team, the only remaining team from Iwa, and both of the teams from Kumo seemed to be unaffected. Even the four Kiri teams appeared more than a little nervous.  
"Right then, you little shit stains, here's the deal. The proctor of the second stage doesn't like being in the city, so he lives outside it. You'll be taking the second stage at his place of residence. I've been asked to relay instructions on how to get there, and give you the time of arrival. If you're late, or more than a couple of hours early, you'll fail his test automatically. So... here's the instructions. Go outside the building by the front gate, and turn right onto the main street. Follow it _all_ the way through town, and yes that's a good fifty klicks from here, and just keep following the road. Forty more kilometers from the last building on the right as you leave town, there is a small cairn of stones. You are to pause there to remember the lives lost in Kiri's civil war. This is not optional, it has been commanded by the Mizukage. You do not want to disappoint _her_. Once you have done so, proceed another two kilometers down the road and turn right at the large mangrove tree. There's a small trail, simply follow that to the field where the proctor lives and wait for him to make his appearance. Any questions?"

Several hands went into the air, but Gouki simply snorted and turned to leave with an unpleasant expression on his face. As he walked through the door, though, he paused and said over his shoulder, "Oh, the man you're waiting for, his name is Utakata."

As the ninja filed out, some debating whether to take the time allotted to arive at their destination in rest, or simply head out and plan on arriving early, Kenkei voiced a question to his team, "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

(O)(O)(O)

The evening passed quietly and peacefully for the Genin. They had elected to head toward the meeting place as soon as they'd informed their escorts and sensei about the details of their task. Hanabi's only reaction had been to nod once, her thin lips pursed, before saying, "Good luck. If that's who I think it is, he'll be tough."

After they had gone, though, the formerly cheerful discussion amongst the higher-ranked Konoha ninja resumed, with a much graver tone than before. "Utakata... wasn't he the Jinchuuriki of the Six-Tails? I thought the Akatsuki killed him..."

Hanabi nodded at Tenchi's question, "Yes, that's what Naruto-sama said. He was a Genin at the time, but I don't think he'd make a mistake like that. If Naruto-sama said he was dead, then he was. Maybe it's a brother or something?"

The Chunin nodded, each of them slowly trying to turn the conversation back- willingly or not- to their previous subject- how much money they'd make by betting on their home team this year.

(O)(O)(O)

"Hey, look at that," Kinyue said, pointing into the gathering twilight, "is that a shrine? We're about that far from the village, right?"

Toride glanced up at the stars and nodded, "Yes, at least close to it. I think I can hear some people up there, too. Probably another team saying a prayer."

As the team approached, the team who'd already been there began to leave, the largest sending a sneer in their direction.  
Toride, for his part, did not respond to the Iwa team leader's taunt. There would be time enough for fighting during the third stage, he was sure. New examinations or not, combat between the Genin was not just tradition, but expected for the third stage. How else were they to conduct a small-scale, 'friendly' war?

The younger members of the cell following his lead, the taller shinobi knelt before the shrine, his palms together, and bowed his head in silence for several minutes.  
The couple each finished long before he had, sparing only a few seconds to offer respect for the dead. It didn't bother Toride, though, he was quite aware that the past didn't mean as much to... well, almost anyone, as it did him.  
"Come on," he said quietly, as he stood at last. There was another team in the distance making their way toward them, but his group would be long gone when they arrived.

(O)(O)(O)

"Isn't that... but didn't we already pass the shrine?"  
Toride frowned. "Yes... I believe we did. Four times."

The slight difference in words between this time and the times previous jarred a synapse in Kenkei's brain. "Genjutsu," he hissed. A quick handsign later, he said, "Kai!" in a forceful voice. Toride felt the wash of chakra, but did not sense the technique weaken at all.

_I'm not even sure if it _is_ Genjutsu... but it's definitely something._  
"Try again, all together," he said softly.  
On the three-count, a much more powerful wave of energy washed over them. The small shrine maintained it's distance, though it was still growing gradually closer. The Iwa team was still there, they still sneered as they left, and, now that he was able to make more sense of the situation, Toride could feel the foosteps of the same approaching team two kilometers distant.  
"Not working... we'll have to try something else. Any ideas?"

Kenkei shook his head. "I've never failed to disperse a Genjutsu with that much chakra. Even Kurenai-sensei's B-ranks would break under that. The three of us together is quite a bit."

The kunoichi frowned, looking into the dark jungle on either side of the road, "It's not just a Genjutsu, though, there's... something else. The sky got darker, there're clouds, the smells and sounds have all changed... I think we really _are_ out in the middle of nowhere, but either the shrine and the teams ahead of and behind us are repeating, or we're teleporting back and repeating, or... I don't know. It's all... wrong."

Not knowing what else to try, Toride shrugged, "Elemental effects? Let's see if we can break it that way."

Ken muttered, "Breaking a Gen with a Nin? Good luck... they don't work that way, unless you have Hokage-sama's chakra."  
Still, it wasn't like he had any ideas of his own.  
"Doton: Doryuusou!"  
The spear of stone erupted from the ground just as it did every other time Toride summoned it, striking only air. "Damn it... what should I even target? That's my most piercing attack, but if I can't hit anything..."

"Wind?" Kinyue asked, now watching the group behind with some trepidation.  
Toride shrugged, "Sure... Great Breakthrough won't do much, but I was able to get one good offensive tech out of Hokage-sama before the exams, at least... "Kamaitachi!"  
The wind blade sped through the darkness, slicing into trees as it headed north until it's power had been expended. "Nothing..." Toride muttered.  
"Let me have a shot," Kenkei said, stepping up to face in the same direction Toride had fired his Wind Scythe, "Katon: Enryuudan!"

As the stream of white-hot flame left his teammate's mouth, Toride gave a low whistle of surprise. "When'd you get that one down so well? It's a B-rank, right? Didn't Hanabi-sensei say no offensive B's until after the exams?"  
After letting the fire-stream subside, the taller teen grinned, impressed even with himself, "Yeah... I kind of got someone else to teach it to me. Hanabi sensei doesn't like it, says it burns her eyebrows when she uses it, so she didn't want to teach me at all."

"Well... did it work?"  
Now frowning, Kenkei shook his head, "Don't think I even hit anything... I aimed down your line, but I didn't feel any backlash, so there wasn't any resistance. I doubt I got your range, either."

"Kin? You up for a try?"

She didn't answer.

A little surprised, both young men turned toward their teammate, only to find a straw figure roughly her size- not even clothed- standing in the road with a note pinned to it. There were only three kanji: "You know where."

"I don't _care_, Toride. You know damned well the exam doesn't matter to me as much as Kin does. She had _better_ matter more to you, too!"  
With an exasperated sigh, the older boy nodded, rubbing the bridge of his nose between two already-tired fingers, "She _does_, Ken... just shut up and listen, will you? I don't think the Iwa team took her, they were ahead of us. I watched them leave town. There's no way they could have circled back without us knowing. The Kiri team behind us was still too far back. So whoever took her did it as part of the test. That's the only logical reason left."

To his credit, at least the younger shinobi understood that, whether he wanted to or not. "Fine! Fine, I get it! Let's just _go_ then!"

At the head of the small trail where they'd stopped talking as their voices rose, Toride moved to grip his teammate's shoulder tightly, preventing him from moving despite the younger boy being taller and just as heavy. "Hold on..."

"What now?" Kenkei yelled, but his leader was having none of it.

"Quiet. Someone's listening... code forty-six."

Taking a moment to calm down enough to remember that particular command, Kenkei nodded once to show he understood, and then started speaking slowly, haltingly, in utter gibberish.  
"Eck boonta dip- diputsu kuru-ne?"

Toride scowled, not sure if his teammate had misunderstood the command, or if he'd said the wrong one. _Nothing to do but run with it for now, though..._ "Carry around numbskull yippee orangutan under silly error nose summer effort hero er- elated rhyme?"

There were many things Toride didn't like in this life.  
His teammate spouting gibberish at him, and then refusing to grasp his own simple code, then looking at him like he was crazy for using it was one of them.

"Idiot! Can you _sense_ her or not?"

Understanding dawned on the younger's face. "Oh, no... it's like she vanished completely, or she's a long way away."

Rolling his eyes, Toride nodded. "All right... well, whoever's watching us is either a part of this little kidnapping, or an examiner, so it won't do us any good to try and capture 'em. We'll just have to head to the meeting spot and go with it for now. Keep your eyes open."

For the next twenty minutes, for the first time in his ninja career, Toride was annoyed with their Sensei's teachings. _Really? Seventy-five different code types? And we have to memorize them all by number? How did she ever expect us to get 'em straight when we need them?_

(O)(O)(O)

By the time the pair arrived at the meeting site, which seemed to be a large open field, exactly as described, Toride was unsurprised to see several pairs- not trios- of very angry looking ninja. "Looks like I was right... everyone's missing someone. Looks like it's always the odd man out, too. The kunoichi, the blonde, whatever... unless I'm missing another pattern."

Kenkei, scowling as he looked over the remaining competition, replied, "Don't think so. It's almost all guys, and there was a fair few girls here before."

The next two hours were spent in a very uncomfortable sort of quiet, as more ninja arrived in pairs or small, always even-numbered groups.

The sun was starting to brighten the horizon, though dawn was still a few hours away, when a loud voice attracted their mutual attention to a large cabin that none of them- for whatever reason- had noticed before on the south edge of the field.  
"My name is Utakata Yaru. You will call me Utakata-san or Utakata-sensei. Your exam is simple, and I will allow no questions. This is a simple pass-fail. Failure... means death."

There were no questions.  
The tall, black-haired and rather thin young man, who couldn't be much older than himself, Toride thought, looked down from the roof of the building at the gathered shinobi. "You have all had a member of your teams removed. Your task is to chose who dies- that member, yourself, or the teammate with you. This test, by the way, is to be done as individuals. Discuss, if you wish, but no coercion of any sort aside from reasonsed discussion will be tolerated. This is my home, and I don't want your bad vibes here. Your missing teammate's job is even easier... kind of. They have to wait, knowing that either they will be sacrificed without a word by their teammates, or to be returned to the living one of them... and not the other. A different kind of test, but that's what sets them apart... amongst other things."  
There were now many murmurings, some of terror, disbelief, even outrage, but as of yet, no one seemed to be questioning their instructions.  
"In this life, you will meet many people. Many of them will be quite different than you are. I carry the chakra and blood of a demon inside me, though not the demon itself. It is that which gives me the power of life and death over your teams. It is why I chose to set myself apart from my family and village, why I am not, technically, a shinobi of the Hidden Mist. However, my power is not to be denied- and test it at your team's peril. But is my path the correct one? _Is_ there a correct one in this? The members taken from your teams are different. Does that make them worthy of death? Does your sameness make you worthy of death? Or life? This is what you must decide.  
"But there is more to it than that, of course. You all claim to be shinobi. But to be a shinobi, one must always dance the razor's edge between life and death. Sometimes the choice will be yours. Spare a fallen foe, or kill him so that he may not rise again? Sometimes it will not. If you are attacked, it is kill or be killed. Sometimes you will be ordered to kill. Then, you have the choice to obey... or not. For most villages, failure to obey means death. So either way someone dies. Them... or you?"  
The tall man fell silent for several seconds while the gathered shinobi grew more restless.

"You have ten minutes. I will call each of you in a random order into my home to recieve your answer. Violence while you are waiting will, again, not be tolerated."

The man vanished with a slight _pop_, leaving Toride with the half-remembered image of a soap bubble going off in his mind. He shook his head to clear it, and met his teammate's stoic gaze.  
"I'll do it," both said at once.

"No, I will," Kenkei continued first, "She's my girl... I'll make the sacrifice."  
Toride snorted, "No, you won't. That's an order. She's your girl... you have more to lose in this than I do. It's not like I have someone waiting for me back home. You two have a future. I'll make the sacrifice, and you'll like it. It's been fun, Ken... you're a great ninja, and bound to get better."

It rather surprised the stoic ninja that his teammate actually shut up. He'd expected him to argue, even though there was no doubt in his mind that Kenkei knew he was right. It was just the way they were, Ken argued with everything he said... even if it wasn't serious any more.  
At first, Toride was worried by the younger boys's determined expression, but since that faded into despair as soon as the older's name was called first, he smirked. "Don't take it too hard, man. I chose this, remember? It's my life, and I'll pay it for you guys. What you have is special, and worth it."

By the time six more ninja had been called in, there were tears running down the Genin's face.

Five minutes later, he was the last person standing in the field. "Gendo Kenkei, your turn."

When Ken entered the Cabin, he was surprised to find the large structure was a single open room with a stairway on the far wall leading up into a loft which covered half of the cabin.

A fire burned low in the cooking space in one corner, and the tall man sat, alone, at the small table which had only two chairs. They were simple, he noted, but seemed both sturdy and smooth.  
"Come, sit," the man motioned to the other chair, pouring him a small glass of tea as he did so.  
A part of his mind- the part not terrified for his teammates or himself- noted distantly that the man's eyes were yellow, though his gaze was not unkind.  
"I want to know why you let your teammate sacrifice himself."

"It wasn't like I had a choice!"

The violence of his own outburst surprised him, but that didn't stop the shinobi from continuing, his volume rising with each word, "He ordered me! He _ordered_ me to let him die! Fuck him! If that's the kind of thing he's gonna do as team leader, he can take the position and shove it! A leader should find another way, another solution! There has to be another way! That bastard, I can't believe he- he- and for _what_? For me and Kin? We would have found a way, damn it!"

The slightly older shinobi let him continue for some time, as he calmly sipped his own tea.  
After Kenkei had fallen, exhausted, into quiet sobs, Utakata spoke. "I'm afraid I lied to you, Gendo-san. Your team is alive and well, and you will be too when I'm done with you. They were never in any danger."

The younger shinobi froze, but did not raise his eyes from his hands.

"But that isn't all. You were also lied to about the nature of this test. Like the one before it, it had two parts. You had to first detect the Genjutsu... something no one but a Jinchuuriki could break, since it was essentially made by one, around the shrine. That is what allowed me to encase your teammate in a special bubble and bring her here, safely. While you and your peers were waiting, I had a similar discussion with each of the other taken team members. I had to separate you, you see, for the threat to seem real."

Kenkei didn't raise his head, but the sobbing had stopped and the younger boy's breathing was still that of someone wide awake, so he continued, "And I must say, I'm quite surprised so many teams did so well. This test would have, normally, been something that Konoha did quite well on. But since there was only one Konoha team, it seemed that it wouldn't create an unfair advantage for you if I used it this time. Your team... each chose to sacrifice themselves. You alone, however, were willing to follow orders, no matter the reason. Even though you railed against them, for several minutes I might add, you followed them. That is worthy of congratulations. Your team has all passed my test's true purpose."

"What... what was that purpose, sir?"  
"Please, call me Utakata-san. That... was to show you all the true price of being Shinobi. Some of you learned that lesson in various ways, some did not learn it at all. You got perhaps the harshest lesson, but you also learned the most, I think. An even trade, yes?"

There was a hint of amusement in Ken's voice, muffled as it was, when he replied, "I'm used to working hard for good rewards. Our Sensei does it all the time."

"Just so," the mild man responded, "So, if you are ready, I can transport you back to your team in Kirigakure at once. Or, you may finish your tea. I would offer to let you spend the remainder of the night here and return you at dawn, but that time is, sadly, already upon us."

"I... I think I'll go back now, sir, if you don't mind."

Utakata was pleasantly surprised by how polite the boy was being, despite- or perhaps in apology for- his earlier outburst. Drawing an old, scratched and worn pipe from the sleeve of his yukata, the older man put it to his lips.  
Just before he blew, however, Kenkei asked, "Sir, if you don't mind me asking... I heard once that the Jinchuuriki of the Six-Tailed Slug was from Kiri, and that he blew bubbles as weapons. Are you... are you him, sir?"

The man gave a sad smile, "No... I am not that man. I know him, however, after a fashion. His wife, you see, was my mother. I am his son."

"I see..."  
Utakata Yaru was almost certain that the younger shinobi did _not_ see, but he was willing to let it slide. If the kami were willing, he would before the end, know what it meant to be the son of a hero.

**A/N2:** Just to clarify, if the above statements are not enough- Utakata Yaru is the son of Utakata from the manga/anime and Hotaru, the young woman who Utakata is "sensei" to (and who apparently has a big crush on him). No, he's not an official character, though he is largely based on his father.

Hotaru will likely not be appearing in this story, although you may see hints of Yaru's half-sister... Maybe. I'm more likely to use Kadan than I am Utakata after this, though either could appear in a small scene or two.

Just to let everyone know, this story is starting to come to a head. The greater story arc(s) are mostly at or near peak, and the big stuff's going to start happening soon, in both action and romance.  
Lastly, No, I'm _not_ dead, and I _haven't_ given up on fanfiction- it's just as I said above. It's been pretty difficult to write, that's all. One Hour has the additional problem that I wrote myself into a corner and still haven't been able to find my way out. /shrug Sooner or later. I may write a "filler arc" or two (short ones) to clear the air, but it'll pick up where it is now for the main story. Any I 'do' write would occur (in timeline) between the Tanzuku and Kumo missions, so everyone would at least vaguely know each other. That's still a bit iffy, though, I really am trying to just get going with it.  
My actual problem is the scene with Tsunade and Jiraiya vs Naruto- him trying to convince them to let him go rescue Yugito, and them refusing- much like Tsunade and Ei don't want to put him in harm's way during the current Manga storyline. But I'll work it out. :)

Until next time!


	17. Chapter 17: 3rd: The Way of the Ninja

**A/N:** Hey, no huge wait this time! Yay! With this chapter, the third stage begins- but doesn't quite end. It's a 'little' shorter than average (just under 5 pgs), but I didn't want to have the beginning and the end in the same chapter. The second part should be even more action-paced (a lot more, actually, since this chapter isn't terribly so), but there are no guarantees. The good news about that is, if I do decide to make the final part of the exam rather quick, it'll mean there's a good bit of r.o.m.a.n.c.e. And no, not between Ken and Kin, either!  
Yep, you know what that means... if it runs long, it'll be- at most- the chapter after before the real good stuff starts. :D

Enjoy!

**Chap. 17 Third Stage: The Way of the Ninja**

Kinyue stretched in the early morning hours for a moment, before wincing and rubbing her head in pain. "Sorry, Ken," she whispered, having smacked the crown of her head into her lover's chin hard enough to wake him, "I didn't think you were that close."

"S'alri...tch..." the young man mumbled before drifting off again.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his laziness, the kunoichi carefully disentangled herself from his arms and slid from the hotel room bed. She spared a quick glance at their room- and team-mate, but his bed was empty.

She could feel his chakra signature nearby, though, so she wasn't worried.

"Hey, Tor," she murmured softly as she stepped out onto the hotel's veranda. She padded on bare feet up next to him before he nodded his own greeting, still staring out over the jungle-covered mountains that hid the early sunrise.  
"Nervous?" she asked after a few minute's silence.

He shook his head, "Nah... just couldn't sleep. Sensei's right, just like always. We'll be fine."

Kinyue nodded, lapsing into silence again.

"Accidents happen," she said after a long while again.

"Yep," was his eloquent reply.

For another hour, the two shared the small balcony rail before a still bleary-eyed Kenkei joined them with a mumbled "M'rnin'".

As the couple kissed their hellos, Toride maintained his vigil over the breaking dawn. As soon as the first direct ray hit their balcony, he turned to face his companions, who were now seated on the single chair in the corner opposite him. "I've got a plan."

They leaned in unconsciously, ready to hear their leader's idea while he smiled a mischeivous grin. "It's gonna be a good one, too..."

(O)(O)(O)

"Nervous?"

Hanabi frowned at Kamisori's question before shaking her head. "No... they're ready for Chunin, regardless of the outcome of the tournament. Even if they fail, odds are Hokage-sama will see it. If he doesn't, well, there's always six months. I can probably ease into my Clan responsibilities if I need to, should give me a bit more time with them if they need it. Especially if one or two do get promoted this time around."  
The shinobi nodded. He was in full gear, much like his teammates behind him were slipping into. Hanabi totally understood, she was as prepared for anything as they were. The alliance between Water and Fire hadn't been this strong since the founding of the Elemental Countries, but you didn't get to be a Jonin, or even an elite Chunin, without being prepared for just about anything. That, after all, was the most important lesson, aside from teamwork, that Hanabi had spent her years with her Genin teaching them, forcing it into them until they inhaled teamwork and exhaled 'be prepared', with a healthy dose of paranoia for their heartbeat.  
A few minutes later, they were joined by the two kunoichi students of the Hokage. "Ready to go, Hanabi-san," Tenchi said quietly.  
The Jonin nodded once, finally taking her eyes off the sunrise. "Head on over to their room, then. I'll meet you at the Arena- don't want them to think I have last minute advice or anything that they actually need... at least, not beyond what they already know."

Inoko grimaced. Her own lack of confidence that she was prepared had been the biggest stumbling block in her own first examination. "We'll see you there, then, Hanabi," she called with a wave before leading her team out the door.  
As they went, the brunette returned to watching the sunrise, but activated her Byakugan, just as she'd been doing before Kamisori joined her, to watch around the corner of the hotel, where the biggest problem on her team, and the biggest benefit she could have imagined to raising a team of her own, still stood.

_There is a way. I have to... I just have to control myself. He's just not for me, so all I need to do is control myself until the feelings go away. That's it... breathe, Hanabi, just breathe it in, then breathe it out... just like all the hate you used to have... in... out... in... out..._

(O)(O)(O)

When the Chunin separated from their escorts at the locker room that Suna, Kumo, and Konoha were sharing, there were no last minute words, not so much as a nod of encouragement. Instead, each of them looked their own target in the eye, not as a person they were assigned to protect, or even as a friend, but as an equal.

When the three students of the Hokage saluted the Genin and turned on their heels to walk away, not even Toride could hold back the wetness in his eyes.

_Equals..._

He flicked the moisture away, cracked his neck to each side, and took a deep breath just as two other teams moved into the hallway from opposite sides. With a glance to either side, the two ninja flanking him steeled their own resolve, and he pushed open the door.

The locker room was much more spacious than he'd expected. Perhaps fifty lockers total, enough for several professional sports teams at once, circled around a line of benches, which itself closed off a combination shower/hot tub, presumably for soaking off injuries.  
Even so, the space felt quite crowded with the focused intensity of the teams present. They were almost the last to arrive, with one of the teams from Suna and the one from Kusa behind them being the last. None were anyone that Toride recognized, though if he'd asked, Kenkei could have pointed out that their leader was the kunoichi who'd stuck by him during their first live action in River.

A cool scan of the room revealed the teams he'd been inspecting. Horror stories he'd heard of entire teams going missing during the one month training between the second and third stages appeared to be untrue, at least as far as these three nations were concerned. Iwa, which only had a single team make it this far, had been assigned to share Kiri's locker room on the other side of the stadium. He didn't mind.

"All right, settle in, may as well start warming up now. The match starts in about twenty."

Kenkei and Kinyue nodded, each of the three trying not to notice the stars and derisive looks from the other teams as they did so.

But their peaceful warm up seemed destined to fail, when one of the Kumo shinobi called from across the room, "Hey, Konoha- have to say, I wonder why you're here. I don't remember you participating in the first exam. Did you bribe the proctor, or something?"

One of the Suna kunoichi grinned, "You know, I think they might have skipped the second, too. At least, everyone else went before they did. Maybe that Utakata guy was doing it in order of skill, so they wouldn't be embarassed by having us around when they did their thing?"

A few of the others laughed.

Kinyue closed her eyes.  
Kenkei snorted, but otherwise didn't react at all.

Toride stood and turned, looking the Kumo ninja who'd spoken first in the eye, "So this is our first exam, we're rookies, blah blah. How many times have you failed?"

"Just once, and it's not happening this year!" the loud, burly shinobi- armed, like the rest of his team, with Kumo's traditional sword- crowed.

Nodding once to acknowledge the other's reply, Toride continued, "We haven't failed. And before you say it's cowardice to not even try... I call it good planning. We've had three years of training instead of one or two for the exams. More training, more missions, more experience, more skill... all of that, from where I'm standing, adds up to guaranteed victory."

Several of the others laughed again, even louder, since a few that hadn't before laughed now.  
"More experience? Kid, my team's done two B ranks! What've you got to compare to that?"

Kenkei looked around suddenly, red in the face, but Toride's hand on his chest- without turning to look at him- caused the younger boy to halt mid-inhale.  
"The specifics don't matter... but our record clearly indicates fifty-nine D's, seventy-four C's, sixteen B's, and two A ranks. Perhaps that should say something to you."

Most of the other team's faces paled.

The loud ninja from Kumo, however, only laughed again. "You know, falsifying information like that is a pretty steep crime, kid. I guess we'll let the truth come out in the ring, no?"

Toride shrugged nonchalantly and turned back around to continue his stretches.

_Man, that Kumo guy's an ass_, Kinyue thought as she shot him a glare, _I can't decide if I want to thrash him or that Iwa team the most!_

(O)(O)(O)

_Mist, Mist, Mist, Mist, Suna, Suna, Kumo, Kumo, Iwa, Konoha, Kusa. Thirty-three shinobi, thirty enemies for this match. None of them look likely for an alliance, and that's okay with me. The plan should work regardless. At least, if everyone reacts like they should..._

Toride's musings were interrupted by a whistle. A few minutes before, an examiner had moved through the locker room, holding out a brass pot to each of the team leaders. "Take one. That number will be your starting position on the arena floor, marked with a small white flag in the ground. You will have two minutes after the whistle sounds to find your position and take up whatever formation you want. When the match starts, you know what to do."

Each of the ninja acknowledged the proctor in some way. It was, after all, very simple.

Last team standing wins.

As the teams moved in single file through the narrow corridor and out onto the field, Toride's eyes widened.  
The arena in Konoha was slightly larger, but it was nothing like _this_.

The Leaf sported a mostly empty field, with a few scattered trees for cover, and even rarer bushes. This arena floor, though, seemed custom built for ninja combat- high-quality ninja combat. In one corner, a roaring bonfire stood. In the opposite, there was a good-sized pool of water, probably deep enough to stand in without breaking the surface for someone as short as he.  
The other corners sported a mound of boulders, again, taller than he, and a giant electrical fan, which had already been turned on.

There was indeed ground cover, but it was likely that the well-maintained grass would stay that way for long with the gathered Genin's best, high-powered jutsu super-charged by the active Element sources nearby.

_That is, if any of the other Genin are even aware of their Elemental Natures, much less have been taught how to capitalize on them..._

But no, underestimating his opponents was not the way. _Swift, silent, deadly. No chance for counterattack. End them in one hit. That'll be hard with thirty ninja, but... we can do it if we follow the plan._

The head proctor for the third stage was explaining the rules, through the microphone in his hand, to the waiting spectators as they moved out onto the field and found their flags. "Each team was randomly assigned, by drawing lots, a position on the field. As you can see, there are several areas where certain techniques will be stronger or weaker. If, for instance, a Fire specialist and his team were able to occupy the area around the fire behind me, they would have a distinct advantage over any attackers.  
"The final round is, of course, designed to showcase the Chunin hopeful's talents in combat, the most respected form of the ninja arts. In a free-for-all competition, there will be much to see going on at once. For your protection, though, we suggest you use the provided protective eyewear. Permanent blindness can result from some techniques going awry.

"The last team standing- or the team with the last member standing- wins the tournament, though, of course, that person is not guaranteed a promotion to Chunin based on combat alone. There is, however, an additional prize for the team that performs the best. The Mizukage has authorized a two hundred thousand ryo prize for the winning team, along with an all-expenses paid trip to the vacation spot of their choice!"

The crowd, and several of the ninja, erupted into cheers at this announcement. For a moment, his thoughts drifted to images of himself and his sensei, alone on some beach somewhere- much like the first time he'd seen her naked, but much more, er, openly- enjoying each other's company away from the stress of missions and family requirements, or the burden of being teacher and student.

Then the whistle blew.

"Contestants, you have one more minute to perform any non-offensive jutsu you wish to prepare for battle. Audience, please don your eyewear now."

The proctor then vanished in a flash of blue.

Heartbeat suddenly thrumming, Toride looked to his companions, meeting their firm gazes with his own. They shared a nod, clasped hands, and then intoned together, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" just as the final whistle to begin the match blew.

(O)(O)(O)

Chaos, pure and simple.

The Kusa team had been unlucky enough to go up against the Suna team Kenkei was familiar with, and their fire-specialist team leader. Even worse, the Suna team had been positioned right next to the bonfire. _Had he known?_ Toride didn't really care. It was, however, curious.  
One of the Mizu teams had been positioned directly in front of the pond, though, so it wasn't really suspicious.

Konoha had been next to the fan. While that would have been good for his team, the plan required... something else.

Despite their confident stances and the few earth-, lightning-, and fire-style jutsu the three had unleashed, they quickly found themselves overwhelmed by a combination of the braggart from Kumo's team, the other Kumo, and one of the Mist teams they hadn't interacted with at all.

In less than a minute, their team was down, and the three teams left in the area turned on each other in brutal fashion.

As jutsu of fire, wind, lightning, earth, and water, with the rarer grass skills of Kusa, blasted and flashed around the arena, accompanied by screams of pain, rage, and the clash of metal on metal...

No one noticed the clones dispelling in the fracas.

Thirty minutes later, their air was about up. "Come on," Kinyue panted in the darkness, "can we go up now? Please? It's so... hard to... breathe!"

A much calmer Toride nodded, even though they couldn't see, "I suppose. It's quiet, now, shouldn't be more than a few teams left at most."

Then, in a spray of rubble- quite far away from the two teams left, locked in combat on the other side of the arena- the trio from Konoha appeared again, quite unscathed.

The crowd began to cheer even louder once they made sense of what was going on, but they had already made good use of the other team's distractions.

"Genjutsu: Masked of a Thousand Faces!" Kenkei took on the appearance of the exam proctor, almost to the last detail.

"Henge, Animal Style!" Kinyue, perhaps inspired by her growing friendship with Kamisori, shifted into a small garden snake.

And Toride merely muttered, "I am the wind..." before shooting up into the sky, far above the arena. Most of the spectators didn't even see him vanish, though a few ninja had known exactly what the brown and black blur was. Still, flight at that speed, _any_ speed, was rare for ninja- especially without special equipment, such as that possessed by Hoshi or Sora.

As he rose, and then silently began to descend at a break neck- literally- speed again, Toride couldn't help but worry._ Annoying Kumo that can probably back it up, and that Iwa team... it just _had_ to be them in the finals besides us... and that bully that seems to know me looks pissed that we're already out. I wonder what his problem is?_

Then there was no time for such thoughts. The screaming of the wind in his ears would have distracted him anyway, if the ground- and his target- rising up to meet him at near terminal velocity was not enough.

Just as his kunai buried itself into and through the shoulder pad of the large Kumo ninja- the only one he'd have been able to hit for certain, in the chaos- a lightning bolt lanced from the hand of the exam proctor to strike another of the Kumo, the team's kunoichi, while blood spurted from the stomach of the smaller Iwa male.

The impact with the ground severely shook Toride, even though he'd reinforced his body- mostly legs- with as much Earth chakra as he could manage from way up in the air, but from the looks of it, the Kumo ninja was out of the fight. Worth it. _Hope I didn't kill him, though. Don't think my kunai went that deep, but still... might have hit the artery._

Nearby, the remaining ninja each leapt away to buy time to assess the sudden change in situation.

Kenkei and Kinyue calmly stepped up to their team leader and flanked him facing outwards, the kunoichi wiping the blood from her kunai as she did so. "One team left, against two fractured teams. Pretty good odds, if you ask me," Kenkei said calmly. His team could still detect a faint trace of anxiety, or at least excitment, in his voice. But it wasn't the time to question that.

"Ioka!" the large Iwa Genin growled, "Resorting to cowardly tactics again? Just like your uncle! I'll fucking make you _pay_ for that shit! Come on, Ren, let's butcher these brats!"

The Iwa kunoichi scowled and nodded, sparing just one glance for their injuried teammate, just a few steps from where Kinyue had stabbed him by surprise. He hadn't staggered very far after that before collapsing.  
Toride shrugged, "You can try and get revenge if you want, but your teammate's bleeding out. The sooner your lose, the sooner you can get him help."  
The large ninja snorted, "I'd much rather kill you. I've got more friends where he came from!"  
Nearby and behind Toride, an unfamiliar voice snorted. _The last Suna nin..._

"Is that why Iwa's so pathetic now? From one of the mightiest Hidden Villages to the weakest... 'cause you abandon your teammates. So very sad... Did you learn nothing from Utakata?"

Toride smirked, but said nothing. It was entirely possible the Suna ninja was trying to even the odds in his favor by lulling the Konoha team to think he was an ally for now.

_Worst case, three on three. Best, four on two then three on one... good odds that way. We can do this!_

"I still think you're a coward, Ioka! Why didn't you fight? Every other team did!"

Kinyue actually took her eyes off the Iwa kunoichi for a moment to shoot him an incredulous look. "And every other team _lost_, moron. Besides, while a ninja should know how to fight, our team... well, our team's an _assassin_ team. It's just what we do!"

Toride nodded, though of course their specialty was news to him. Still... a little bit of psychological warfare never hurt... "So, Iwa with a grudge for something I don't even remember... poison, lightning, fire, or earth? Or do you just want to bleed out? I can get you somewhere quick, but I think you've been obnoxious enough to earn a slow death."

The Iwa merely growled, before throwing himself at the much shorter, if not lighter, former citizen of Tsuchi no kuni.

**A/N2:** Not too much to say, here. Cowardly, maybe, but they're ninja. It's what they do. I can't decide yet what I'll be doing for sure with the next chapter (as described above; not sure if I'll do mostly action with a hint of fluff, or about half and half) to move the main relationship forward. Either way, things are still coming to a head. The final plot elements are soon to be revealed, etc etc. Till next time!


	18. Chapter 18: The best laid plans

**A/N:** So, sorry about the wait. Been focusing (deliberately, for the most part) on Harry Potter fics (I have finished a Harry/Lavender, all posted now, for those interested- called Blue-Eyed Doe), with some postings of One Hour also happening more recently. That's still going on, but here's at least one chapter of this. It concludes the Chunin Exams for the team, at long last. Also, please read (if you haven't on another fic) the longer A/N below- it has more current info on what I've been working on lately for those interested than my Profile has. I'll get around to changing that soon, though.

So...

Enjoy!

**Chap. 18 The best laid plans...**

As his foe charged toward him, his teammates moved to prevent the flanking maneuver that Kenkei and Kinyue had begun, exactly as they'd planned.

For two brief seconds, Toride's eyes locked above his attacker on the Kage box. There was, of course, the beautiful red-headed Mizukage, sitting in the center. To her left was the thin, almost gaunt form of the Kazekage, flanked by his older sister and her boyfriend, Nara Shikamaru.

On Mei Terumi's right was a golden-haired man the same age as the Gaara. His guards were, as might be expected, his two wives, Namikaze Hinata and Uzumaki Sakura.  
Toride gave the trio- he wasn't sure himself if it was the Kages or only his own Kage and his wives he was doing it for- a quick nod, sure of the plan and his own place in it.

But then the Iwa ninja, whose name he still didn't know, was upon him.

From a seal scroll, the older Genin had, mid-leap, brought out a heavy, double-bladed axe with a blade large enough to split Toride in two if it struck in the right way.

_No blocking it, then..._

The stocky ninja lunged to the right, noted as he did so that Kenkei's bow was faring poorly against the more rapid, if not as long-ranged attacks from the kunoichi of Tsuchi no Kuni, who appeared to be using a rapid-fire senbon launcher.  
He didn't have time to dwell on it, though.

_I just have to take it on faith. Ken and Kin can handle themselves, better than I can sometimes._

"Die, Ioka!" the Genin behind him cried out as he brought his axe up into a two-handed grip again.

Turning, Toride slipped the kunai he'd drawn back into it's holster, "What's your problem, anyway? You never bothered telling me exactly _why_ you want my head on a plate."

The larger man shuddered, the hateful scowl never leaving his face, "Fine- but you even _think_ about going for a weapon or start signing, and it'll be the last favor you ever get."

Toride nodded, now able to watch Kinyue take a vicious swipe from the lanky Iwa Genin's long, black-matte claws across her stomach. To her credit, he reacted more strongly. She didn't so much as flinch, while he did.

"It was at the end of the last war between Iwa and Konoha- your family was supposed to back up my squad, but they turned tail and ran, leaving my father and brother to die like dogs! Even if you weren't the one, I'll still _never forgive you_!"

Memories of his own father, who had basically cut all ties with him when he refused to give up being a ninja, flooded Toride's mind for a moment before he ruthlessly crushed them down, forcing the thoughts to the back of his mind. _Time for that after the fight. Never show emotion to an enemy, right Sensei? Only the ones you trust... too bad I can't show _you_.__Or that you can't show me._

Instead, he shrugged, "Doesn't matter to me. We can let you live- _I_ can let you live- but if you persist in bringing your personal issues into this exam, I'll put you down. I have to ask, though. Which last war? The actual Great Ninja War that was before both our times, or the one two years ago when your Hidden Village got suckered into attacking Konoha by that traitor, Uchiha Sasuke?"

He knew at once he'd gone too far, but Toride didn't particularly care. It was exactly as he'd said; either the other Genin would die in an attempt to kill him, or he could back down and admit defeat peacably. There were, in the stocky shinobi's eyes, no other options.

Just when the Iwa ninja's temper broke, and he threw the axe into a horizontal arc that would doubtless (judging by the damage caused to the ground with the first swing) cut him in two, Toride saw Kinyue take another hit, this time mangling one of her arms. At least her opponent had also taken a wound to the arm, but it wasn't going to go well for her. Taijutsu was never her strong suite.  
Jumping to the left with a quick spin, Toride landed facing away from his opponent, already signing. "_Doton: Earth Spikes Jutsu!_"

Of course, the Iwa were quite familiar with earth techniques, and his enemy had recognized the attack before Toride had even completed it, countering with his own, equally powerful but more quickly delivered, spikes.

As the two sets of spires shattered against each other, Toride took a moment to analyze Kenkei's fight. If he was doing well, he would be able to back up his girlfriend.

Unfortunately, just then, his teammate took two senbon to the neck. Neither looked fatal, but the jubilant expression on the kunoichi's face, which was marred by a cheek scratch that was nearly fatal, and the pain of having an arrow lodged in her left shin, the senbon were poisoned- and a neck shot, any neck shot, would get that acting quickly.

Still... both of his team faring badly left them another option... "You two, switch up! Ken, dump your antidote stores for now, you'll be able to fine-tune later!"

"Right!"  
"On it!"  
The twin voices made him smile, even as he spun around again, displaying agility surprising for a person of his build, to let the axe slide past his nose by an inch. No sooner had it struck the hard ground again than his foot stamped down on the handle, or more accurately, his enemy's hand.  
With a scream, the older ninja let go, withdrawing a few paces.  
As he shook his hand to relieve some of the pain, the ninja snarled, "Don't get cocky, brat. You haven't got the training to use that, and I haven't seen anything special from you. Your Earth techs won't work against me, not when I can counter every one!"

Toride casually pulled the axe from the ground with both hands, keeping an eye on his enemy. "Right... well, an axe was never my strong point, I'll give you that. Instead, let's just get it out of the way, shall we?"

He then casually lobbed it over his shoulder as far as he could. Judging by his opponent's eyes tracking it and the pause before he heard it smash into what had to be the bonfire, it had gone all the way to the corner of the field.

In response, his enemy drew two long kunai, each serrated on one side. Obviously, these were built for fighting in close quarters where the axe would be less useful or, more accurately, useless. "Like I said, Ioka, don't get cocky!"

All in all, Toride had to be rather impressed by his speed. Despite being a head taller than even Kenkei, the tallest member of their team, the bulky Iwa shinobi still moved with precision, grace, and speed.  
In fact, it was all he could do to stay ahead of him far enough to keep from being gutted by the first few, seemingly wild but uncannily accurate, swings.  
Obviously, he had underestimated his opponent.

Still...

The fight was as good as in the bag, as soon as...

(O)(O)(O)

Kenkei and Kinyue passed each other, the kunoichi handing her lover a surette on the way by, "Take mine, I won't get hit by that bitch!"

Rolling his eyes, the shinobi grinned, "Right, keep telling yourself that! Watch for the one on her knee!"

She didn't acknowledge the advice, but he knew she'd heard. It wasn't like the catcalling from their opponents at their 'running away' was very loud.  
Instead, Kenkei was more concerned with their team leader, and who was watching. Would Toride, who had otherwise proven himself a capable leader, find himself crushed under the strain of performing in front of three different Kage, including their own?

If he were honest with himself, the archer was feeling a bit of that strain himself.

_No time for that. This guy's killer in melee, so I've gotta use ranged. Thanks for the practice, Ii!_

His face lighting up with the friendly rivalry between he and Inuzuka Kiba's archer Genin, Kenkei felt a rush of confidence. Despite being skilled in taijutsu, especially with the added reach of his claws, they had seen no evidence that the smaller male of the Iwa team had anything else in his arsenal to back it up, and he knew full well that Kinyue's skill with small-arms, traps, and even Genjutsu would likely make short work of the opposing kunoichi.  
In addition... even in what looked like lethal combat (because the Iwa leader was taking this far more seriously than his teammates), Toride had taken the time to watch out for his friends. Win or lose, as long as they survived, they'd likely have earned that promotion- at least, Toride had.

"All right, punk," he said calmly as he knocked an arrow, still twenty feet away from the suddenly-worried looking Iwa, "let's see if you can block one of my friend's patented Megaton Shots..."

(O)(O)(O)

"Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara's quiet, formal voice broke the tension in the Kage box at once, bringing all eyes to him- at least, those the more experienced ninja weren't keeping on the fights below, "your one team is quite advanced this year."

Naruto smirked, "Yeah, heh heh... I can't take any credit for it, that all goes to Hinata's sister, Hanabi-chan, but they _are_ really good."

Mei broke in, her voice warmer than Naruto or Gaara had ever heard it, "I agree... Konoha's got some really good ninja. I hope that'll keep you afloat through the coming trouble."

Naruto and his wives all frowned. It was Hinata, surprisngly, who replied. Her voice was, as usual, hesitant, but the words were still firm enough, "We will be, Mizukage-sama. Whether it was Iwa or Kumo who instituted it, it was still an attack on the Hidden Leaf. We will be ready for more."

The other two Kage frowned, although Naruto smiled.

"Be careful," Mei answered, "you don't want to start a _real_ war just because of one person, do you?"

Naruto shrugged, turning his eyes, if not his attention, back to the arena floor, "Of course not. The hate's gone on long enough. But just because Konoha has a policy of non-aggression doesn't mean we're weak. We can't afford to let anyone think that, so action breeds action. I... I wish we could stop the cycle of hate, but sometimes we have to settle for just slowing it down a bit."

Temari spoke for the first time, seemingly hesitant to enter into the conversation despite her own high status, "That's really mature of you, Naruto. I keep forgetting you're Hokage now, not that little punk who pissed off Kankuro and Gaara back when we first met."

Sakura and Naruto both blushed, snickering at each other's reactions to that incident as it had been happening. "Yeah," the rosette said after a few minutes, patting her husband's hat to soften the emotional blow, "he surprises me sometimes, too. I mean, you'd think I'd be _used_ to it after all these years, but every time he opens his mouth, it's one dumb thing after another."

Everyone but Mei, who didn't know the Hokage and his wives nearly as well as the Suna ninja, laughed.

(O)(O)(O)

Within seconds of Kinyue's Genjutsu making the only other kunoichi on the field beg for a chance to surrender, two of Kenkei's chakra-guided arrows thudded into the claw-wielding ninja's wrists, pinning him at both extremities to the tree behind him. _Really_, the Konoha Genin thought, _it's his fault for thinking trees would be cover. It's not hard to shoot in a forest, only hard_er_._

Out in the open, there were still two combatants duking it out.

Toride had taken three hits from the kunai, one on each bicep- making it very difficult, but not impossible, to form hand signs or strike effectively- and one on his neck that was millimeters from being fatal, as it followed the line of his jugular downwards.  
"All right," he said, shaking his head, "looks like you've given me no other choice. Your teammates are down, and I don't want to embarrass you three-on-one, so... last chance. Surrender, or die."

The still-furious Iwa ninja roared, "I'll show _you_ surrend or die! You're the one taking all the hits!"

And it was true, for the most part. Toride had taken several, while the Iwa had taken nothing more dangerous than a few kicks to the chest.

Still, Toride was not worried. "See, that's half your problem... you think just 'cause I'm a little worn, or that I haven't used anything but Earth-Style jutsu, that's all I've got. It's that kind of rigid thinking that makes you... weak."

The crowd, who had been watching raptly, fell silent. Could it be? Could the underdog between the two really have been faking it? Had he had an ace up his sleeve this whole time?

"Yeah, right!" the Iwa ninja shouted, "You've got nothing, or you'd have used it before now!"

"Think what you want," Toride responded, leaping back to get a bit of breathing (and signing) room. _This is gonna hurt, but it'll be so worth it to see the look on this asshole's face..._ "But I'm not Earth-natured. At least, not dominantly. In fact... you could say I'm your own Earth-Lightning type's worst nightmare."

For a moment, the Iwa ninja's eyes widened. "You- no way! I don't believe you!"

"Doesn't change the truth," the stocky Genin replied calmly, "_Fuuton: Ghost-Hands Jutsu!_"

(O)(O)(O)

Up in the Kage box, Naruto smiled. "Fight's over."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.  
Her husband shrugged, still grinning downward, "I only taught him one melee wind-element technique, and that's it. You'll just have to see the rest, but it _is_ over. Toride played him good."

Temari frowned, "Melee wind-element? How did you learn one of those? I've been searching libraries for years trying to find one."  
The Hokage grinned over at his friend, "Made it up myself when I realized Asuma-sensei's _Heien_ was the closest thing to a melee jutsu there was, for the supposed 'melee element'. It's based on that technique, but... well, just watch."

Hinata whispered, "Byakugan," more as a way to show the others why her chakra spiked, so as not to alarm them. Friendly or not, they _were_ technically enemies, or at least not allied with, the Mizukage, even though she'd come without guards when they had, it would not do to betray that trust.

"Oh my!" the former Hyuuga heiress said a moment later.

(O)(O)(O)

Kenkei and Kinyue took a moment after they met up to make sure the poison wouldn't do anything drastic before the fight ended. Sharing a glance toward their other teammate, they knew it wouldn't be long anyway.

A hundred twenty feet away, Toride settled into a loose Taijutsu stance neither had seen before. The supreme confidence he displayed, however, proved the matter to them.  
If not to their last enemy.

"Right," the Iwa sneered, "you like that silly Goken-kid I heard about a couple years ago, the one that specializes in the Drunkard Fist, or whatever? I'll believe that when I see it."

Toride, once again, did not respond to the taunt. At least not verbally.  
Aware that his wild swings would be underestimated, but not for long, the short Genin lunged forward, swinging far too early to hit his enemy.

That was why the Iwa didn't dodge, instead inhaling and grinning to start laughing at the poorly-timed attack.

Which was, again, why he seemed so surprised when his belly opened up underneath his flak jacket, already welling with copius amounts of blood.

The shock only made it easier for Toride, who continued to whirl his hands, feet, knees, and elbows in strikes that were quite clearly out of range.

Not that it made a difference.

Within the space of a few seconds, the Iwa was covered in lacerations, many of which would be fatal without immediate medical attention.  
The worst was directly across his chest, having split his sternum in two and likely cut into both lungs. He would be lucky if it hadn't also struck his heart. Even medical jutsu would be useless if it had, since it was several minutes away.  
"All right," he called up to the judge's box, "It's over. He needs a medic pretty bad."

Without another word, Toride schooled his features back into a mask of calm and cancelled the jutsu before walking over to his teammates and giving them both a forceful, if subdued, high-five. "Nice job, team."

Only then did he look up to the spot next to the judges where their sensei were gathered.

Her white eyes stared down at him impassively.

Her arms were folded below her chest.

Lips set.

Hair moving only a little in the breeze.

And then she smiled, widely, honestly, and Toride's heart leapt.

No matter what else, promotion or not, strain with his parents or not, Hanabi was happy with his performance, and that was enough.

(O)(O)(O)

"Yeah, you guys were awesome!" Naruto cried as he, followed by Sakura and Hinata, barged into the courtyard of the inn the Genin were staying at with their sensei and guard.

Immediately, the seven ninja who hadn't followed their Hokage in jumped to attention, although Kamisori was swaying slightly. He'd been drinking quite heavily for the last two hours, putting away more than his two teammates combined.  
"Oh, hell no," Naruto continued, "No saluting during a party! Though I do have some business..."  
At once, Hanabi leaned over and shut the radio off.

Hinata and Sakura were each carrying a bundle, though the rosette's was larger.

Each of the three Genin suddenly remembered what they'd just gone through all of this for, and their blushes deepened.

"Genin Gendo Kenkei, Genin Shiba Kinyue, front and center!" he barked.

At once, the two stepped forward, blushing heavily. Smiling, Naruto turned to Sakura, taking both flak jackets from her, "This is honestly one of the very best parts of my job. Still, I suck at speeches, so I'm going to make this quick."  
While Toride might have been annoyed that he hadn't been called forward, Hanabi had drilled into all of them- long and hard- the importance of watching the details.  
Even if that detail was as obvious as the third jacket in the indigo-haired, now-retired Jonin's arms.  
"Your sensei fought me for a long time about how good a teacher she'd be, about whether or not she was up to the task of training you guys."

Several eyes, including all of the Genin (ignoring protocol of staying at attention, not that Naruto seemed to care) to look at the suddenly-embarrassed Jonin.

"So thanks for proving me right and her wrong. I kind of wished we'd gotten a bet going, but... meh, better luck next time. So! As of this moment, you are Chunin Gendo Kenkei and Chunin Shiba Kinyue of the Leaf. I'm very proud of you, but not as proud as I am to call you my comrades. Thank you for all your hard work."

The two lovers, hearing the dismissal for what it was, immediately took each other's hand in their own and stepped aside as Naruto began to speak again.

"Genin Ioka Toride, front and center!"

Red in the face to match his sensei (though hers, at least, was fading), Toride stepped up to his Hokage. "I know this road has been long for you. Starting from the position of an outsider, with no friends and barely any home life."  
The sudden solemn attitude and words from the Hokage spoke to Toride more than he'd expected. He immediately felt a rush of gratitude and tears, but wouldn't let them fall.

"I know what that's like. But, like me, you've risen above and beyond that. Where you had no friends, now you have several, and most of them would happily die for you. That's... that's something I'm very happy to have in common with you. Where once you had parents who either wouldn't or couldn't understand why you chose to become a ninja, you now have family that understands, because they make the same choice every day, just like you do."

Toride gulped when his teammate's hands landed on his shoulders supportively.

"I even got to know you a bit better than your friends since we share an affinity, which you displayed rather well just a couple of hours ago."  
There were chuckles all around.  
"And, even better, I got you to do _tons_ of my paperwork!"

Toride groaned, but everyone else's chuckles turned to laughter.  
"So!" the young Kage continued, "It's my very great honor to award you with a promotion to the rank of Chunin, Ioka Toride. You have truly earned it, and I'm glad to call you my friend."

(O)(O)(O)

After the Kage had left along with Hinata (who was pregnant again and couldn't drink anyway), Sakura had stayed for a while. During the celebration, which had eventually come to involve almost every resident of the hotel through the night, Sakura had pulled her husband's former Genin team aside along with Toride, while the other members of his former Genin team kept their Sensei busy.  
"Okay, guys, we've had some bad news, but I can't let Hanabi know yet. You'll understand why when I tell you."

The four Chunin nodded.

Sakura continued, "The cancer that Hiashi has isn't cancer at all. Well... it acts like it, but it was detected early enough that I _should_ have been able to cure it. Even Tsunade-sama couldn't do anything, though that might be because of her age. But even though the symptoms are the same, the cause is... is a poison."

There were four simultaneous gasps.  
Sakura nodded slowly, "Yeah... it's that big. We think the culprit was a Kumo sleeper, out for revenge for the whole ruse involving Hiashi and his brother, Hizashi when Hinata was a little girl. We do _not_, and let me make this clear, we do _not_ think it was the Raikage or any element of his government. We do, however, think it's a fairly well-respected Kumo ninja that was behind it. Unfortunately, we don't know which one, and have several prospective targets. So... we need bait to draw them out."

Toride was the first one to understand, "You want to send Hanabi-sensei up there to see if she gets attacked, and by who."

Eyes dark with suppressed emotion, Sakura nodded, "That's the plan. Hiashi really doesn't want to let her go, says it's too late to worry about it, but our opinion is that, if this attack on him succeeds without reprisal, it'll just open up for more later. So we have to stop it. We even have the Raikage's permission for a political envoy to go up there for a while, something that hasn't happened in decades.  
"Mostly, I think he's just worried that if Hanabi _is_ attacked, it'll be by overwhelming force, and the Hyuuga will be without an heir."

_Well, I could..._ the newly-promoted Chunin thought, _But, no... that'd take at least nine months. And that's _if_ Hanabi-sensei wanted... but she obviously doesn't._

"So here's your official orders: Team Hokage, you are to return to Konoha at dawn tomorrow, and hurry when you do. Naruto's worried, and wants you close for backup just in case they try anything early. Team Hanabi," she turned toward Toride, "You will be given three days' leave as a reward for passing your Genin exams on the first try, which is always unusual. After that, you will report to the Hokage's office at your earliest convenience for your next mission. Yes, that's going to be escorting Hanabi to Kumogakure, and yes, it's going to be dangerous. You won't have any backup, just the four of you. So be careful."  
Toride nodded grimly, "Yes, ma'am. Is that three days' leave and _then_ come back, or three days to get back, and relax on the way?"

Sakura frowned, "Um, the former. Honestly, we aren't going to have the official papers drawn up for your entry into Kaminari no Kuni for a long time, at least a week. We just want to make sure Hanabi, and you three, are up for the political play that's going to be going on around you. We don't want an international incident being created from some slip of the tongue while you're there, after all."

Toride groaned, "Oh, I can see it now, Hanabi-sensei's face when she realizes one of us said something stupid and started a war..."

The older Chunin chuckled.  
Sakura herself just smiled, "I'm sure you'll be fine. Just remember- no telling Hanabi what's going on. Let Naruto do that, since he actually outranks her and can get her to calm down using that if nothing else. We do _not_ want her going off half-cocked and staring something _worse_ than an international incident."

Tenchi, who had so far beein silent, questioned, "What's worse than that?"

Inoko was the one who answered, muttering, "Revenge killing after revenge killing. That's worse."

Toride found it very difficult to celebrate after that.

**A/N2:** As you can see, no 'fluff' this time... but a good portion (all) of next chapter will be just that. I have decided, however, that I'm focusing too much on just Toride and Hanabi's relationship, when the one between Kinyue and Kenkei was supposed to be just as important. They will, therefore, be getting some screen time next chapter. I may even write a flashback-lemon of their first time, or even the encounter (from their PoV) of the hotel where Hanabi walked in on them years ago... Maybe.  
The good news, though, is that once it officially starts- which _is_ going to be next chapter- the Toride/Hanabi one will take off very quickly. That means I'm likely to be writing not one, but _two_ separate lemons for next chapter, in addition to some more romanc-y type stuff leading up to it. That also may make a very long chapter, but I don't get complaints about that. /shrug

Lastly, the rest of this A/N is a copy/paste from the last (posted) 'chapter' of Blue-Eyed Doe. Essentially, it's a status update of what I've been working on for those interested. I have several genres of things in the works now, so it's probably worth a look.

_Post-Traumatic Stress:_ A canon-pairings story immediately following the Battle of Hogwarts. There are a few more character deaths during the story, but nothing epilogue-changing. The last remnants of Voldemort's government don't go quietly into the night, and that's all I'm saying about that. Though, they do have unusual tactics that I've never, ever seen (in now 8+ years of fanfiction reading), and I think people will be quite surprised- and surprised no one has thought of it before. :D

Alternate DH1: This is an (unnamed) story retelling Deathly Hallows and parts of HBP (via flashback), largely concerned with the nature of Horcruxes. ... actually, I may be combining this with the story below which is also an alternate DH... and the more I think about it, the more it seems a good idea. But for now, considering them separate. Basically, the premise of this one (I haven't worked on it much) is that each Horcrux is tied to one of Tom Riddle's emotions. As he made each one, he withdrew that emotion from his soul/mind/etc, making him both less human and less able to deal with those emotions when they are forced upon him. Here's my list of Horcruxes, their linked emotions, and what they represent to Voldy:

Slytherin's Locket:Romantic Love, turned to Jealousy (Ron, anyone?)

Nagini: Affection and care turned to overprotection (tenative for this one)

Hufflepuff's Cup: Contentment to Ambition

The Diary: Self-Worth to Pride (this and the locket inspired the concept)

Gaunt Ring: Unconditional love turned to Hatred (Ring symbolizes marriage, etc)

The Diadem: Love of Learning to Obsession/Addiction to knowledge (this would be a problem for Hermione, much like the locket was for Ron).

Harry himself: Self-sacrifice to... more self-sacrifice. Basically, Harry's natural martyr complex is compounded drastically by Voldemort's own (unwilling) sacrifice of himself to create a Horcrux out of Harry.

If any author would like to run with this idea, feel free- I wouldn't mind credit, though, since it's a unique (again as far as I know) thought.

Alternate DH2: Diverging from canon at the wedding. Basically, Ginny is near Harry when they Apparate away, and is able to grab his hand. This results in some minor splinching (Hermione didn't know she was coming until they'd already begun), but nothing on the order of Ron's later). Unable to return safely, Ginny, though underaged, is forced to accompany the trio. This causes several changes in the timeline- a stronger 'camping trip', because even wandless Ginny is dangerous (she later decides to start using magic anyway, since the Ministry hasn't been able to track them she figures it's safe). As well, the DA at Hogwarts has a much harder time without Ginny there to support and help lead them. For this fic (and most of my 7th-year or post-battle fics) you can consider the story told in the great fic _Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness_ to be canon- except where I state otherwise. I forget the author of that one, but it's a truly great fic I highly recommend reading.

A Harry/Parvati story that I've really only just begun. I have two beginnings and am debating which to use. They'd be very different stories by the end, but neither is better than the other and I don't want to re-hash the same pairing by doing both, so... it's gonna be just one. Concieved at the same time as BED, so it's likely to be similar in some ways, though earlier in the timeline.

A fic tentatively called _Nympharmony_- this is one I'm quite excited about, but am having a bit of a difficult time writing for several reasons. Basically, it's a Hermione/Harem, involving Neville, Harry, Ginny, Luna, and possibly a few temporary members (Lavender and Parvati).  
The basic breakdown is- Hermione's a (diagnosed) nymphomaniac. She can't help it, she just has that itch that it's almost impossible to scratch, and it itches all the time. It starts off innocently enough (she's alone) and stays that way for a few years- she's just a kid, after all, of twelve-fourteen. After that, though, things start picking up with some experimentation with Lavender and/or Parvati. Hermione decides she likes that well enough, but wants more- both an emotional connection (they are friendly, but not really friends, much like in canon) and something more... fullfilling.

The result is Ginny, who again is experimenting (less wildly), becoming something along the lines of Hermione's girlfriend. That's all it is for a year while Hermione starts quietly doing 'research' into Human Transfiguration.

Here's where I'm having an issue. I'll explain if asked, but the squick level of the story from here on rises considerably once she masters a certain bit of magic (which she developed herself), uses it on Ginny, and then teaches it to Ginny so she can do it back. This is happening in fourth year, mind. I have plans to continue it into sixth, where it will end (hopefully) well. It's just that one issue...

Again, PM me with questions, comments, or concerns.

This next fic is one I likely won't finish -ever- due to my own squick-factor going into overdrive. It's, well... a Ginny/Twins fic. Mostly a love-potion gone wrong. It was never intended to be much anyway, so I don't really feel bad about it, but incest is not something I'm really comfortable with. I don't know where the idea came from anyway. /shrug

A Harry/Luna fic (that starts more Harry/Hermione) involving a divergence in the "Occlumency" chapter of OotP. Basically, Harry tells Snape and Dumbledore "No" about the lessons. He knows he should learn it, but won't do it from Snape. Hermione learns Legilimency to teach him instead. Them raiding each other's brains trying to learn causes them to grow closer, and they start dating for a while. That goes through fifth year (nothing too serious), when the Ministry fiasco convinces Harry that he's not learning fast enough. Basically, while Hermione has mastered the spell of Legilimency, she's not that good at actually protecting her highly-organized mind (notice her lowest OWL score was Defense?). Not knowing what else to do, they continue until Ginny has a bright idea- and owls Luna to come visit before Sixth Year. She immediately starts training Harry (Gin's idea) about real Occlumency. Similar circumstances arise to before, and Luna and Harry start dating. I'm ending the story at sixth year, and they'll still be together till then, but I'm not sure if I'm going to have it stay that way 'after' sixth or permanently. Ginny, for her part, will be a bit jealous but likes Luna well enought to stand aside- she knows very well how difficult it is for the blonde girl to be social in any way. Harry and Hermione's break-up is both amicable and harmless to their friendship.

A Harry/Hermione romance loosely based on the first few chapters of _Witch Daughter_ and a similar fic that I can't find or remember- basically, on the night of the Third Task, Hermione goes to Harry to console him. She hadn't meant it to go _nearly_ as far as it did, she just wanted to rock him to sleep basically, but being a fifteen-year-old witch, at the very least some emotional attachment to the wizard in question, and some admitted 'fanciable traits' or whatever, she allows her need to comfort Harry to override her good sense- and finds out she's pregnant shortly before Harry goes to Grimmauld Place that summer. Basically, that's the genesis of the story. It's by far the most angst-heavy thing I've written (though it gets better later), and is becoming quickly AU. It also borrows several ideas (much changed) from other fics, such as Harry assuming his majority based on the Triwizard Tournament rules, being a parent, and the last member of a Diminishing House- not an Ancient and Noble (that's done too much) but a known magical bloodline with one last living member- him. Of course, several people Harry's close to (Ron, Ginny) don't take the news too well. At least Dumbledore and McGonogall (and a few others, like Bill) are supportive more than anything else. Right? ;) This is currently the fic I'm writing fastest, but I'm still just starting it at five chapters in. It's likely to be quite long.

Lastly, a post-battle fic where Ron dies (similarly to how BED killed Ginny, though I'll probably just kill Ron instead of Fred). Hermione, who had _finally_ found love is a bit distraught. She attempts to kill herself during the summer, but is saved by Harry who just 'had a feeling' based on her last letter. Her parents tried to stop her, but couldn't match her magic.  
Harry then brings her- for her own safety- either to the Burrow or the Grimmauld Place (maybe both, there are pros and cons either way- the Burrow has both good and bad memories, etc).  
While there, she, the Weasleys, Harry, and Ginny in particular, work toward healing the poor girl while Harry and Ginny resume their own relationship (they aren't shagging yet...) where they left off.

But at Hogwarts, back again for their seventh year, Hermione and Ginny have more troubles than before. Harry has accepted (for one year and one year only, he swears, nothing to do with the curse...) the DADA post as an adjunct professor. An Auror is taking it officially, but as he's old and all-but retired, Harry teaches most of the classes.  
Ginny and Harry are forced to pull back on their relationship (a year apart and BF/GF or not, he's still her teacher- So Sayeth Prof McG). As well, Hermione starts to latch onto Harry as the only male friend who's never left her.

At first, Harry and Ginny both resist, but eventually, give in- allowing Hermione one date-date to convince Harry that she's the one for him.

Obviously, that's not how it works.

I don't want to give away too much more, but this is going to end H/G/Hr.

And hopefully, that's all the HP fics I'll be working on in the near (or ever) future. It's more than I'd originally intended. Lol

Anyway, sorry for the longest AN in history (it's not, I checked- not even my longest), but at least it should answer some questions for you. As always, don't hesitate to drop me a line- but while I do take suggestions, I don't take requests. So be polite about it. 'Till next time!


	19. Chapter 19: Calm before the Storm

**A/N:** Yeah, I know it's a relatively long time coming, but it's also a chapter many of you have been looking forward to for some time. Yep, it happens here. Most of it, anyway. :D

I don't want to make you wait too long...

So...

Enjoy!

**Chap. 19 Calm before the storm**

"Well, I guess we'll be heading out then. Um, don't wait up for us, 'kay, Sensei?"

Hanabi turned her white eyes onto the team's other kunoichi, "I'm not your Sensei anymore, Kin. I'm your team leader at most, remember? But yeah, just don't stay up _too_ late. I know we have a few day's leave, but we are supposed to be resting so we can get back to Konoha ready for missions. "Now that you're all Chunin, you'll need to start taking your own teams out, and missions with me will be rare. If I'm being honest... I'm not sure I'll even be able to go on missions outside of the Village any more. My father's health is not getting better at all."

The two youngest members of the team nodded, suddenly grave, but Toride only forced a smile as he shoved them out the door, "Don't worry about Sensei, she's just being a killjoy. Go, have fun, don't get yourselves killed in a bar brawl, and keep an eye out for vengeful losers."

As Toride moved to shut the door, he was yanked out into the hall by a suddenly fierce-looking Kenkei, who put his face right up against his friend's, "Ask her out. Go out, have fun, and do it _tonight_. You're looking at your last chance, even if it seems like it's the first one. You're only going to get one shot at her, Ioka, and if you haven't got the balls to go for it... then you aren't the man we think you are."

Surprised, and more than a little embarrassed, Toride looked toward Kinyue for support. As expected, though, she was instead backing her boyfriend. _Likely, this was her idea..._  
"I- I don't know what you're- uh, t-talking about?"

Both of his teammates snorted. Kinyue's voice from behind her lover was a bit cold, "Right, 'cause you're just a moron. I believe that! Look, Tor... all those reasons you have for not letting yourself do anything about the way you feel? They're excuses. The reasons Sensei has for the same problem? Yep, same thing. Excuse after excuse. You're a fucking _shinobi, _Toride, _act_ like it! Take what you want, seize it in your own two hands, and _never let it go_."

"But- but I- I can't, I mean it wouldn't be-"

Suddenly, the stocky Chunin was lifted a few inches off the ground by his angry-looking teammate, who had grabbed fistfulls of his flak jacket, "You _can_. It's _easy_ to ask a girl out. Scary as hell the first few times, yeah, but it's not hard at all. You don't even have to ask her out, stupid! Just- just tell her you want to go out as friends or something, team members, whatever! Just get her out, with you, having fun. After that... you'll be surprised at how easily things fall into place. Okay? Can you do that, or are you just going to chicken out?"

Toride gulped.

_Kami preserve me... they're going to _know_ if I lie... but if I actually ask her out, why the hell would Sensei agree? Even just as friends, it wouldn't go anything beyond that._

_Then again... it's a date, whether official or not, with Hanabi-sensei... and can I honestly say to myself I haven't wanted just that for three years?_

_Fuck me sideways... I don't really have a choice, do I?_

"All- All right. I'll do it. Let me down, teme."

Kenkei nodded with a sudden smile, "Right. Sorry about wrinkling your jacket. See you... well, probably for dinner tomorrow, actually, we'll be too er... _busy_ tonight to see you before then."

Toride blushed while Kinyue giggled, before the lovers ran down the hall at ninja speed, hand in hand.  
With a sigh, he turned back and opened the door, only to be met with his Sensei's stern gaze. She was standing in the middle of the room, arms folded across her chest. "What was that all about? I don't want to have to break up _another_ fight between you two. Come to think, you've been acting odd since last night when Sakura-chan pulled you aside."

This time, the stocky ninja literally could not reply, he'd been ordered not to. "I- er, it's n-nothing. I just-" _Damn it! Why am I suddenly a stuttering idiot?_  
Hanabi's foot started tapping on the floor while she stared unblinkingly at him.

"I... er... let'sgoout?"

One of her eyebrows twitched, and her foot stopped tapping for a second, only to resume again at a slightly quicker pace.  
"Go out?"

He nodded, terrified, but glad for the destraction all the same, "Er, y-yes? Like... well, _out_? Dinner. See a play, or something. We're... er, supposed to be having fun, right?"

Hanabi's eyes closed. He watched closely as she seemed to struggle with her self-control, before they opened again a moment before her lips did.

(O)(O)(O)

_Toride's lips continued to work the side of her tender breast while they lay in the snow-cave,_

_ despite Hanabi's continued annoyance. She didn't have the heart to push him away. Not to_

_ mention, of course, that while he was just a boy, and she was a hardened kunoichi, it had _

_ been a long time since anyone had focused on that part of her body at all. She... kami help_

_ her, Hanabi didn't want him to stop, even though it was getting pretty tender right there._

_ Flash forward a year, and the pre-teen boy was suddenly six inches taller, a fifty kilos heavier, and nearly her match in Taijutsu if she didn't have her Byakugan active. A sweep_

_ of his had caught her by surprise, but her own speed allowed her to bring him down with her. Unfortunately, that was not a good thing, as he landed right on top of her, crushing the_

_ air from her lunds. In addition, it made her breasts- already tender because of the time of the month for her- push painfully against him. She gasped, and as she forced him off, felt the_

_ obvious reaction he had to that kind of close proximity to her with one thigh._

_ More than six months before that, on a beach at the south end of River, she had been discussing the human body, sex, and all it's permutations, details, and consequences for more than an hour with the young man, telling him all she knew (which wasn't much, but more than most her age), before disrobing at _his_ request to allow him to see what she was _

_ talking about._

_ And Kami, how much she'd enjoyed watching his expression as he looked at her._

_ Then, just a few weeks later, they had fallen asleep, both drunk, with her half-naked atop him. She had reacted badly, as he had no doubt expected, but Hanabi was certain then, as she was now, that he didn't know _why_.  
He couldn't know that she was not angry at him, but that she was scared, so very scared, of_

herself_. Of how much she enjoyed laying on top of him, that she'd taken her shirt off quite deliberately in an attempt to entice her own student... and the admiration she felt at his self- _

_ control, because it was obvious he _had_ been enticed, but had not acted on it._

_ Angry because of her shame, for even very inebriated, she still knew it was wrong... she just_

_ didn't care at the time._

_ Of course, just a week before they had left for the Chunin exams, Hanabi had been weeping_

_ quietly in her shower over the looming loss of her father, as well as the end of her active career as a kunoichi. As dangerous as it was, she loved it, would not trade it for anything..._

_ Except now she had no choice. It had to be done, for the good of the Clan._

_ Desperate for any solace, she had gone to Toride's apartment (next to her own) and walked inside._

_ He, of course, was gone, not able to help. So she had lain on his bed, smelled his scent, then climbed into his shower and furiously masturbated- three orgasms worth- while thinking of_

_ the one man she'd never be able to have, the one she wanted._

_ It hadn't helped much, but at least there, in her mind, she had been able to be with him. If only for a couple of hours, before she shamefully headed back to her own apartment before crying herself to sleep._

And now he was asking her out? Could it... was it really true? All those signs she'd passed off as false... were they?

"I... I don't..."

His voice at first reassured her, but the words plunged an icy, burning dagger into her heart. "Uh- j-just as friends? T- Team-mates? I mean, I don't... er..."

Numbly, Hanabi nodded. "S- Sure. Let me get ready. I heard Kiri's still going to be celebrating, so there's a bit of a festival going on tonight, too."

He smiled warmly (but not warmly enough to warm the chill in her soul), bowed, and hurried into his bedroom of the suite to get ready.

(O)(O)(O)

Toride's reaction to his Sensei's outfit for the evening was something he would be embarrassed about all night.  
It was hard to hide a boner in shorts and a t-shirt.

Of course, Hanabi had ignored his discomfort, like she had many, many times before. Professional as always. _That's one of the best things about you, Sensei... But I really wish you'd notice, just once, what you do to me. Even if you hate me for it._

She didn't take his offered arm on the way out the door, and deigning only to walk a foot or so away and side-by-side as they moved through the celebrating Hidden Village.

Three hours later, while both Hanabi and Toride picked at their post-dinner ice-cream in silence (they had exchanged few words the entire evening, much to his displeasure), Toride had had quite enough. There was dancing in the streets next to the outdoor eatery they were sitting at, and the music, the cheer, the happiness around them all were...

They were not appropriate to his mood.

So when he sighed and pushed his half-finished dessert away, Hanabi did the same with her own at once, "Let's go," she said brusquely, "I'm ready to go back to the hotel."

He nodded, moving around the table to walk next to her as they wended their way to the cashier.

Then all hell broke loose.

Figuratively speaking, of course.

Because someone bumped him from behind just as Hanabi turned towards him, knocking the two together.

Not hard, of course, no one was attacking them.

Just hard enough to push his lips into hers.

_All in all, for a first kiss, it wasn't anything to write home about_, he thought in the moments before she flattened him, _but I suppose surprise has a negative effect. Still, Hanabi-sensei's lips are very... soft._

Once Toride realized death would not be delivered with a swift _jyuuken_ strike to his heart- at least not yet- he tentatively opened one eye, to see his Sensei glaring not at him, but over his right shoulder. "S- Sorry, Sensei! I didn't mean-"

She ignored him, "You did that on _purpose_!"

Toride's eyes widened, "No, I swear, I didn't! Someone bumped me-"

His hands, which he'd brought up to placate her (hopefully, vainly, anyway), were grabbed and she shoved him to the side.  
Not for the first time did he regret being barely taller than she was; heavier or not she was still a Jonin and could move him around fairly easily if he didn't resist.

But then again...

She moved past him, clearly not intent on destroying him for their _purely_ _accidental_ (no matter how much he'd been yearning for it) lip contact.

"Sorry, Sensei," he heard Kenkei say, obviously lying, "I just slipped! Not my fault, though, I'm a little tipsy! I blame Kin!"

But the girl had been standing behind Hanabi, who was too incensed to use her Byakugan to find her. She, Toride was annoyed to note, was making kissey faces at him behind their Sensei's back.

"I don't believe you, Kenkei," Hanabi said coldly, "In fact, I- I'm _ashamed_ of both of you. Why would you do that to Toride? How could you embarrass your team-mate by making him kiss an older woman?"

Toride's heart plummeted into his chest at the triumphant smirk on his team's faces- both of them.

"Ah, but Sensei- if you turn around to look at said team-mate, or better, _ask_ him if he's embarrassed about it, I think you'll find that I actually did him a _favor_. Accidental or not."

Hanabi froze, then turned slowly around.

Meanwhile, Toride attempted to school his features into a neutral expression, something she'd spent hours and hours, days, drilling into each of them.

For the first time in over a year, he failed.

_Damn dopey look! Gooey-eyes my ass, I probably _look_ like an ass right now! Why, oh why, do I have to have _mother's_ blush genes?_

Hanabi's eyes widened. Could it really, really-really be? But earlier... he'd asked her out as _friends_ after getting her hopeful, wound up even.

"Go on," Kinyue said, breaking the silence, "Go back to your room and talk. Just remember- neither of you seem to have minded very much that you actually kissed, you're only mad because we had to force you into it."

(O)(O)(O)

In the end, the youngest members of the squad had to escort the older pair to the door of their hotel room in an effort to get them both there at the same time.  
"All right," Kinyue said while pushing the door open, "you can get as mad at us as you want tomorrow, Sensei, you can even give us official reprimands if you want to. Just remember what I said before. _Neither_ of you have complained, not once, that you just kissed. Now... stay in there until tomorrow!"

At once, she slammed the door and applied a quick seal, drawn up by Tenchi before they'd left, to the door.  
The lock clicked.

The pair then waited a few minutes, just in case, but it appeared neither of the older ninja even thought to try the door. Sharing a wide grin, the two returned back to the street for an hour or two more's revelry before returning to their own hotel room for a more private party.

(O)(O)(O)

"Toride."

He flinched, but looked up at last to see his Sensei's face, his own burning still. "Sensei?"

She shook her head, "Damn it, stop calling me that! It's Hanabi-sama, or -sempai, now. I'm not your teacher any more."

He gulped and nodded, but didn't correct himself.  
Three years' experience- more, really- had taught him not to argue with his sensei when she was mad.

"Did you put them up to that?"

He shook his head at once, "No!"

She nodded, "Any idea who did?"

Again, his head shook, but, "Er... I really don't know, but who had motive?"

She slumped suddenly into the long couch, waving an idle hand for him to join her. Wisely, he compromised by sitting in the chair on the opposite side of the suite's living area. "Anyone who knows me... _really _knows me... they'd have to have seen it."

Toride swallowed the lump in his throat. Tried to, anyway.

"Er... seen what, Sensei? I mean, er, S-sempai?"

She didn't bother looking at him, keeping her dull expression on the tasteful vase of flowers in the center of the coffee table between them, "I'm a horrible person, Toride. A horrible, terrible person, woman, teacher."

He jumped up at once, pulse pounding, "You are not!"

But she didn't seem to react, only kept talking, voice quiet and trembling, "I am. I broke one of the biggest tabboos in our society. I... I don't even regret it."

He gulped this time, flopping bonelessly back into the easy chair, "I don't... understand. Why are... why are you telling me? I mean... your father, or the Hokage, or..."

Hanabi shook her head slowly, and for a moment he was entranced with the way her chocolate hair swayed, before the melancholy in her voice brought him crashing back down, "I tried to be professional, I tried to do my job, to be a good Sensei," and talked over his repeated objections without pause, "I even tried to fall in love with someone... else."

Suddenly, Toride frowned. He knew he had no claim to her, _couldn't_, in fact, but it still hurt to hear.

"But it didn't work. Kiba's a great guy, and I liked him for a long time, but... we were just never that way. I shouldn't even have asked him out again after the first time... we're just too different, and he knew it, I knew it, I just... I couldn't face the truth. I don't know if I can now, even."

He was silent. What did you say to that?

"The truth, Toride... I should be locked up for even thinking it. But they're right, all of them. I fell for one of my students, and I hate myself for it."

Toride's whole body went numb at once. "Y- you- fell... but what about Kin? Or... _is_ it Kin? Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just-"

She snorted, wiping tears away even as she laughed, "It's _you_, you numbskull! I, Hyuuga Hanabi, Jonin of Konohagakure, fell in love with one of my own Genin students, Ioka Toride."

He said nothing, unable to speak beyond the overwhelming victory the small, dim candle of hope had won over the despair which had nearly overpowered him.

Because inside, his heart was suddenly a very bright, radiant place to be.

"I know you don't feel the same, you've made it clear you aren't attracted to me at all, so I'll... I'll do whatever you want. Put in for a transfer for the last few weeks I'm active, I'll... I'll even testify against myself if you want to press charge-"

The last sound was cut off by his lips crashing into hers so forcefully, he knocked the couch and them with it backwards onto the floor.

Heaven.

Bliss.

Ecstacy.

These words were inadequate to describe the feelings swelling in Hanabi's chest.

Because his actions...

They proved her wrong.

Several breathless minutes later, he withdrew, slowly and tenderly disentangling himself from her without a word.

He even helped her, like a gentleman, sit on the back of the couch and lean against the vertical cushions, before taking a place beside her, making a point to grip her much smaller hand in his own.  
"Sen- Hanabi-chan," she flinched for a moment, then smiled weakly at the disallowed-but-much-loved suffix, "I've felt things for you I never felt for _anyone_. I... Kami, this is hard, no wonders you were so down..."

She smiled a little, "You don't have to lie, or worry about me, Toride. I'll be fine, eventually."

He shook his head, "I don't _want_ you to be fine!"

Hanabi's expression fell, but only for a moment, because he hadn't stopped speaking, "I want you to be wonderful! And I want to make you that way! Hanabi-sensei, I've been in love with you for two years, at least! I think I started feeling it before we even got to Yuki!"

She flushed at her own memories of Yuki. Had he been awake while gnawing gently at her breast?  
No... he couldn't have been, she'd have noticed.

"But I... we can't do this, Toride," she said, suddenly sad again, "I'm too old for you. You deserve someone younger, prettier, and... and there's my family."

He suddenly scowled, and spun around to kneel in front of her, head on the floor, "All due respect, Hyuuga-sama, you are a treasured flower in my heart, more beautiful than a thousand maidens, every star in the sky. Your age is nothing, _my_ age is nothing. We are both ninja, adults, and I want... well, I want _you_."

If she were honest with herself- and years later she would admit it to several of her swooning grand-daughters that she was- Hanabi was both taken quite by surprise and very impressed by the normally taciturn boy's sudden verbal poetry. "I- but-"

He shook his head, only now raising his eyes from the low bow to look at her again, "As for your family, Hanabi-chan... _you_ are the Heiress. _You_ decide who you marry, no one else. If... if that is not me, then I will accept it. I like to think I'm man enough to step aside if... if you don't want it to be me. But I really, _really_ do want it to."

The sudden bout of eloquence passed, Hanabi leaned forward to grab his hands and pull him up so they were facing each other, knees touching, "My father is not disappointed in you, Toride. He would not, could not, be. Because you have been the best pupil I could have ever hoped for. If anything, he will be unhappy with _me_. With _my_ feelings, the road _my_ heart seems to want to walk."

Toride nodded solemnly, his voice grave as he replied, "Then your father can take it up with me. I mean, if you want... if you want me to, I'll be the guardian of your heart. If someone is unhappy with you, they can always take it up with me."

It wasn't, perhaps, the most romantic, even sensical thing she'd ever heard, but at that moment, Hanabi didn't care. The young man sitting in front of her had said the perfect thing.

"I _do_, Toride. I... Kami, I really don't know how this'll work, but I want it to _so badly_. I... I've wanted to for years. Even... Kami..."

She pulled him into a hug while he laughed, "We seem to be saying that a lot tonight."

Hanabi giggled, "Well, when you need it... Toride, can you... uh... can you kiss me again? Please, for- for real?"

He hesitated only a moment before letting go, only to pull her back into a passionate kiss, momenst before his tongue invited hers to dance. _Kiba never learned _that_ trick..._

(O)(O)(O)

"So, did you guys do it all night, or what?"

The pillow under Toride's head struck his annoyingly _male_ team-mate with the force of a hurled kunai before he growled, "No. Go away. Sleepin'."

But the weight of his friend settled on the couch near his waist instead, "Can't. Kin kicked me out while she cooks lunch in our kitchenette, said I'm not allowed to see it. I think she's making me a birthday cake."

Toride's eyes flashed open, "Oh yeah, that was yesterday! Sorry man, I totally forgot!"

The taller shinobi shrugged, "Dude, I _got_ my present from you. Kin took _six _pictures of your face when I pushed you two together. I might even let you see them when you're too old and feeble to fight me for them."

Toride snorted, and shoved the taller boy off the couch with his knees before sitting upright, "Bastard. Anyway... why'd you come bug me, then? You had to know we were up all night. Not like _that_!" he finished, glaring.

Kenkei snickered, "So you say. I think I'll trust Hanabi-sensei's word over yours, though, I know how hard you've got it for her."

"Got what for who?" Hanabi's voice came from her bedroom door, making Kenkei jump and fall from the couch again.

"Er- n-nothing, Sensei!"

White eyes rolled, meeting Toride's after. Both grinned widely.  
"Well, if it's about the sweet, sweet love we made all night, I can gurantee you that between the two of you, Toride's better off. Not only is my new boyfriend _much_ 'bigger', but he handles it so... _forcefully_."  
Both of the shinobi started to choke, one with embarrassed pleasure, the other in horror and shame.

"Oh, but really... _he's _better off because he has _me_. While I'm sure Kinyue's a decent enough girl in bed, I have _years_ more experience, you know? I can do things to Toride your girl can only _dream_ of, Ken. Sorry... maybe in ten years."

Red-faced, the tallest member of the squad fled the room without a word, the only sound before the door shut being a low moan of despair. Or maybe something else.

"That was _mean_, Hanabi-chan," Toride said, chuckling while trying to fight down his blush, "But, why'd you say that stuff? I mean..."

She shrugged, smiling widely as she sat on his lap, before wrapping her arms around him and tentatively leaning in for a kiss, "I'm just... hoping it wasn't all a dream, that's all. But his reactions, and yours, proved it wasn't. So I'm in a good mood. Besides... they needed some payback for last night."

"Er..."  
She moaned against his lips before moving up to whisper in his ear, "Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad they did it, but their methods could use some work. More... _training_ is in order for our younger team members, I think. Ooh, and on that note... I think some 'training' is necessary for you, too, Toride."

He gulped. Training was never really fun with Hanabi, even if the results were worth it.

"Oh, I don't mean anything... well, okay, it _will_ be strenous, but I think you'll enjoy it all the same. I like... my student... to put in... _hard_... _work_... for me. You know?"

Without a smidgeon of regret for the tension her words and sultry tone had created in his pants _or_ his mind, Hanabi jumped off Toride's lap and headed for the kitchenette herself. "Sorry, Tor! No play-time before marriage!"

And then, just a few moments later, he heard her thump to the floor, clearly unconscious.

(O)(O)(O)

Had... had she, Hyuuga Hanabi, perfect princess of Konoha's most illustrious Clan, really just implied a proposition to a sixteen-year-old? One she'd only just admitted to having feelings for last night? Her face flushed, even though she was clearly out of his sight. The sensation got worse before, suddenly very hot, her vision narrowed and she slumped to the floor. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was a very terrified, "Hanabi-chan!"  
All in all, she could think of worse things to hear as she passed out...

**A/N2:** OK, so sorry, but no lemons this chapter- one next time. I've decided I don't need the Kenkei/Kinyue one. It's enough that it's told mostly off-screen. As far as the main one... well, next time, kiddies. Don't be too impatient with your torches and pitchforks. Lol

Remember I said their relationship would progress quickly, but not at light-speed. No jumping into bed for _my_ main characters- almost any of them, unless they're shown in canon to be very easy. However... more shocks coming in terms of their relationship. And a couple of them are pretty big, too.

As far as the cliffy? Don't worry, she's not dead, poisoned, wounded, or anything else. She's honestly just over-stressed and now suddenly relieved and happier than she could have imagined- and the sudden return of the stress (as explained in the last paragraph) hit her hard. Hanabi will be fine, won't even need a medic beyond Toride's meager skills. :)

Anyway, I'm gonna (almost certainly) put up another chapter of One Hour before the next one here, because that story's where the action is currently (both in reviews and plot), but as always, I won't abandon one. Especially since there's not a whole lot of chapters left with this one.  
My outline follows (ish):  
Dealing with Hiashi/The Hyuuga Family (Won't take a full chapter, but most of one); this will mostly be done next chapter- which may or may not push the lemon back. Depends on how long it takes, but it shouldn't.

Go to Kumo, start investigating.

Resolve the investigation.

Have the 'final fight'.

Go back home, prep for the main event...

and the wedding.  
That's it. Anything else is either too specific to tell you in advance (spoilers) or not important enough to mention. Lemons will not likely be common- we've already had all the lemon-ish scenes I had planned- probably only one or two. But that doesn't mean it's not happening a lot once it gets started; 'cause they're both terribly repressed right now. :D


	20. Chapter 20: A feast for the SenseIs

**A/N:** Apologies for the wait... but hey, here's proof I haven't forgotten about it. :)

On the down side, it's a little short. The whole chapter's only 2.5 pages, about half of my usual, but it's a Christmahannukwaanzika bonus, so no complaining... right? :)  
Honestly, the length is more a problem with my in-story timing than anything else... which is also why the promised (mostly) lemon isn't here yet. However, it should- with 99% probability- happen 2 chapters from now. One with lead-up, and then 'the' chapter itself. The lead-up deals with everything in Konoha before they return, and once they actually get there. Still... no more spoilers.

Enjoy!

**Chap. 20 A Feast for the Sense(i)s**

"All right, Sensei... I hope this place lives up to it's hype. Ken said it was the best restaraunt they'd found, but since I've never been here..."

To Toride's left, Hanabi nodded with a small smile, "I've been here before... with my old team. Aoba-Sensei treated us after our first A-rank mission. It's... well, not the best, but it's pretty good. Probably the best in the area. Good choice."

The new Chunin blushed and nodded, "Sorry it's not better."

Hanabi nervously took his hand, sparing him a glance as they walked through the double glass doors into the foyer, "It's fine, Tor. Like I said, good choice."

The shinobi nodded, glanced down to their joined hands, face deepening further into red, and nodded. "O- Okay. So..."  
"Table for two?" a young woman, dressed semi-formally, asked.  
Hanabi nodded, "Yes, thank you. A private booth if possible, we might be discussing things that shouldn't be... overheard."

The hostess pinked as well, and stammered, "Uh... I don't mean to pry, b- but we d-don't allow that kind of- of thing h-here!"

Toride snickered, waving one hand to correct her, "No, no! It's not like that. We're just ninja, and if we start talking shop..."

"O- Oh!" the hostess calmed quickly, "Sorry about that... we just had a couple last night who couldn't keep their hands off each other. A bit younger than you... we had to have the manager escort them out!"

The two ninja shared a glance, then Hanabi turned back to the hostess with a devious smile, "The man... he was taller, black-haired, and the woman dainty and black haired as well? Did you happen to hear their names, perhaps... Kenkei and Kinyue?"

The hostess nodded, smiling, as she turned away with a gesture for them to follow, "Yes! Do you know them?"

"They're our team-mates," Toride sniggered, "and that's _great_ blackmail material!"

(O)(O)(O)

Hanabi had been right, Toride thought. The food, while certainly 'good' was not by any means 'great', and almost certainly not worth an entire C-rank mission's pay (at least his cut). The company, though, he thought had been top notch.

That is, of course, until Hanabi- with a dangerous glint in her eye that hinted at her displeasure if he reacted overtly- slid one suddenly sandal-less foot up the inside of his left calf about half-way through the meal.

Being a trained ninja, the freshly-promoted Chunin wondered for a brief moment exactly how she'd managed to not only remove her sandal, which was designed not to come off even in rough combat, from her foot without using her hands. He clearly remembered them both staying above the table. He could see both now.

But the things tugging dextrously on his pant leg as they inched higher toward his knee were most certainly _not_ sandals. They were toes, he was sure.

Even more so, how had she taken them off without hands and without drawing his attention to any strange movements?

Only after those thoughts had passed at lightning-speed (though he seemed to suddenly be thinking rather slowly) through Toride's brain did he realize what exactly was going on.

It was, of course, _just then_ when his sensei's dainty foot reached the inside of his left knee.

She somehow then curled her toes under- _under-_ his knee, tickling him for a moment before sliding higher.

"-thing wrong, Tor?"

He blinked.

Hanabi was looking more than a little concerned now. She'd even set her drink down without taking a sip. She scooted a little closer and leaned in, "I said, 'are you okay'? You seem a little out of it."

He blushed madly, stammering, "Uh- I- I'm uh- j-just f-fine!" The last came out rather higher-pitched than he'd intended.  
Higher, in fact, than he'd made in two years since his voice had last broken. This didn't help his blush any.

Hanabi, though never let the look of concern leave her face. "I think you may need a drink. Lean back, relax... take that drink, clear your head."

Far too used to taking her instructions at face value, jumping before asking how high (or how deep the fall) for instance, Toride immediately swilled several large gulps of his drink- water, since he considered himself 'on duty' no matter that he was on leave- then leaned back in the booth, even as Hanabi did the same.

However, the grin that spread across his sensei's face told Toride that he'd done exactly as she hoped.

Because her toes were suddenly inching higher, now that his own hips had joined hers at the edge of their respective benches.

_Oh crap... is she... oh my..._

Ignoring Hanabi's look of intense frustration when her toes stopped just about a half-inch from the crotch of his pants, the young Ioka threw himself from the booth, muttering about a quick 'bathroom break', and prayed under his breath that no one would notice the large bulge in his pants as he practically sprinted for the nearest restroom sign.

(O)(O)(O)

_Safe... safe. She won't follow me in here..._

Toride had just finished splashing cold water on his face and taken several deep, calming breaths- to little effect- when the door opened.

The sight in the mirror made Toride wonder if he hoped his hard-on would wilt or get worse.

Hanabi was standing there, still grinning wickedly, tapping one foot while her arms were crossed under her modest breasts. "Tor," she said calmly, moving now to the sink beside him, "I didn't know you frequented women's restrooms."

A quick, anxious glance around confirmed his sensei's veracity.  
There were no urinals.

_Oh, no... not that... can I just die now?_  
But his sensei seemed to have other plans. Without a word, she yanked him away from the sink to face her, then began advancing, forcing him to back away.

It took only three steps for her to back him against the wall nearest the kitchen. He could hear faint sounds from it as the crowd slowly picked up.  
"I feel kind of... naughty, right now, you know."

Toride blinked. "W- what?"

_Was this really happening?_

"You see, Toride... I have a bit of a... a _confession_."

"Uh- oh- okay..."

Hanabi shrugged, leaned into him, and kissed his nose lightly.  
He might have thought it was comical, meant to be funny, if not for the look in her eyes.  
"Yeah... I came into the restaurant tonight with the intention of seducing one of my students. And I came into the bathroom ready to do it. So... so I put a minor Genjutsu on the door. No customers are going to be bothering us..."

"Oh... okay..."

Rational thought seemed to have left him, since, somehow while she'd been talking, Hanabi had threaded one of her legs between his, forcing his knees apart. Her thigh was pressed right up against his suddenly throbbing penis, while his right was pinned between her own. He could feel the moisture on her through several layers of cloth and mesh. "S- Sensei, I don't think-"

She kissed him quickly, taking advantage of his surprise to force her tongue into his mouth.

Suddenly, he was awash with bliss.

It was heaven, it had to be. Nothing earthly could be like-

There was a harsh knocking on the door, almost pounding.

"Sensei! There's an emergency, we have to get back to Konoha, now!"

Training kicked in, shortly before Toride's severe arousal caused an embarrassing mess in his trousers.

He pushed Hanabi away quickly, glared sternly, "Emergency in Konoha. Focus, Sensei!"

She blinked a few times, took a shuddering breath, then nodded. "Right. I'll- I'll go out first, you come out fifteen seconds later, act like you came from the other side."

He nodded as well, "All right. That sounded like Ken, so I doubt he'd notice anyway. Better to be safe, though."

She turned without another word, then spun back to give him a quick peck on the lips, furiously crushing herself to him in promise of what was (eventually) to come, before whirling back to the door.

(O)(O)(O)

They were already three miles outside of Mizugakure , half-way to the nearest port where their ship waited, before Hanabi had the breath to ask for a report.

Kinyue, who'd actually been the one to receive the messenger hawk, answered, "They didn't say much. Just a personal emergency for you, Sens- Hanabi-taichou. I assumed it was something important, it had all the proper codes and everything."

Hanabi shook her head and pushed ahead of her team even more, "You did the right thing, Kin. It's... it's probably my father."

Nothing else needed to be said.

As one, the three younger shinobi matched their leader's pace, each urging them on to even greater speed.

**A/N2:** So, again, apologies that it's kinda short, but... I just couldn't put it all in at once. It wouldn't have worked. This makes a good Xmas bonus though, so I'm not too stressed over it. :)

As readers of my other stories probably already know, I'm now working on a 1-update-per-week schedule (with no plan as to what's actually getting update, but at least one of something), with a first-come-first-serve basis for what I'm updating. Whatever chapter I had done first gets updated that week.  
That's something I've had going on for more than a month now and have been able to stick to fairly easily, so I'm gonna keep it up indefinitely if I can. I don't think it _will_ be a problem, either.

About the story itself- the promised lemon is already written, so that's not holding me up any more (it was actually written before this chapter was, and it's been mostly complete- in it's small size- for more than a month), I just couldn't make it fit here without a major re-write. Better to add a little more length to the story and make it all flow smoothly.  
Anyway, till next time, kiddies, don't forget to read and review! And Happy Horridays! :D


	21. Chapter 21: Home: where your heart rests

**A/N:** Apologies for the wait... but hey, here's proof I haven't forgotten about it. Again. lol

My earlier prediction (see the AN1 for the previous chapter) is correct, the lemon's next time. It's already inserted into the half-complete (mostly with that) chapter, but it'll still be a while for updates. A few heads ups: This chapter is (for some, at least I think so) a bit emotional. It's also not really a happy, feel-good chapter, but for those who can look a little deeper, it is. More of that's coming next time, but it starts to turn around there. Secondly, this is the climax of the story _and_ arc, but there is a short arc (with it's own lesser climax) coming after next chapter covering the mission to Kumo. That will begin at the end of the next chapter.  
I've rambled enough.

Enjoy!

**Chap. 21 Home is where your Heart rests**

They were exhausted when the team ran through the gates. Just a few paces in, however, they were stopped. Not by the gate guards, but by Hanabi's older cousin, Neji.  
"Hanabi-sama," he greeted them, "Team Hanabi. Congratulations on your promotions."

Their team captain scowled at her cousin, "Come _on_, Neji! Pull the stick out of your ass! What's wrong with my father?"

The stoic Hyuuga's mouth quirked, but it was something between amusement and grief, making him grimace. "I... I apologize. I was trying to lighten the mood, but... he's dying, Hanabi-sama. He's in his chambers, Sakura-sama is attending to him now. Her apprentice and Lady Shizune are also there... but..."

"Hinata?"

Neji shook his head, "She had to return home for a bit. Come on, we can talk on the way."

Before she took off after her cousin, Hanabi turned to her team. "You guys... go on home. You deserve a break. Ken, Kin, I want you guys to make the report to the Hokage's office. Just drop off the written version if there's no day officer there, but Hokage-sama should be there. Tor, you're to go home... actually, no, I have a couple different errands if you don't mind. Nothing... nothing that's an order."

Kinyue groaned at the implication that their assignment _was_ an order, but Toride only smirked, "'s what you get for the crap you guys pulled after the Exams."

The younger Chunin moved away, grumbling to each other about Toride being "Sensei's Pet".  
Surprisingly enough, Toride's smirk only grew. "What do you need, Sensei?"

Hanabi chewed her lower lip for a moment while the others got further away, then spotted the perpetual Chunin, Kotetsu and Izumo, listening intently, though with an air of nonchalance. With a scowl, she pulled Toride further away by the collar. "Can... can you go to my apartment? Grab a couple of sets of clothes? All I have from the trip is dirty, and... and then to Hokage-sama's home? If I know my sister, she'll be babysitting her and Sakura's kids, and... and she should be..."

Toride gulped, but nodded. "Yeah... yeah, I'll have her bring your clothes then."

Hanabi nodded, forced a grin onto her face, and whispered, "Thanks, Tor. I'll... I'll see you when I can."

As she sped away after her cousin, Toride wished with all his heart he could be there with his sensei when she needed him most.

(O)(O)(O)

"And that's all there is to report, Jina-san."

The elderly Jonin who acted as Naruto's substitute secretary (when neither of his wives were available) nodded. She knew the two newly-promoted Chunin were ecstatic about their upgrade in status (and pay grade), but she had known the Hokage too long now to think that this would be a happy occasion. Uzumaki Naruto, despite what she (and far too many of the Village) had thought of him as a child, was an amazing leader, and he loved his job. He didn't miss work unless it was important, but he'd taken the day off to be with his father-in-law.

"Very well. I'll inform Hokage-sama on his return to work. Thank you for your hard work, and congratulations to you and your other teammate."

Kinyue bowed low, Kenkei nodded with a proud grin, and both left the office.

The shared a quick glance as they moved down the stairs toward the tower's exit. Their years as lovers, despite their young age, allowed them to communicate like any long-married pair. "Shower, sex, shower, and over to Sensei's house," both said, synchronized enough to create an eerie sub-echo. Both gave a wane smile, each sharing- with another look- doubts about any self-serving stress relief (or relieving the stress of their partner) when their Sensei was going through... difficulties.  
But, they knew, it had been a long trial for them, and they wouldn't be much good to her without a bit of a cooldown themselves. "Besides," Kenkei mused as he held the door for his girl, "Sensei probably needs some alone time anyway. She probably even sent Toride off to do something for a bit."

(O)(O)(O)

The shorter male on the team tried not to grouse. Hanabi needed his help, he wouldn't be caught dead being upset about it. It was just... she hadn't given him the key to her apartment. Still, he was a ninja. Doubtless she'd be alerted by the security seals around her door, he'd seen her activate at least one and deactivate others before, but he could still get in. It was just a matter of... "Doton: Iwagakure no Jutsu!"  
With a tiny expenditure of chakra, Toride stepped through the cement wall of the apartment two feet left of the door. He thought he might have brushed against the chakra web of the security seals, but couldn't tell. "Oh well," he muttered as he stepped into Hanabi's living room, "if they come investigate, I'll just tell 'em the truth. Hanabi-sensei sent me... if they don't think I'm a pervert for going through her underwear drawer or something."

But apart from a quick question-and-answer session with the building's manager (who apparently knew Toride and his sensei were 'together', despite them just finding out themselves, if his comment about not having a problem with the Hyuuga Heiress' boyfriend breaking into her apartment to get clothes for her was any indication), the former Iwa citizen was able to leave toward the Hokage's home sooner than he had expected.

When he got there, it was to a scene of chaos, however. Akimichi Soren was half-expanded, grappling with five of the Hokage and his wive's children, attempting to force them into a soapy blow-up kiddie pool in some semblance of a bath in the front yard. Nearby, Naomasa Ii, Kenkei's archery partner and rival from Kiba's team, was scolding the half-Hyuuga twins from Hinata's second pregnancy at full volume. Doubtless, the four-year-old terrors had caused the normally quiet ninja some sort of emotional trauma, if Toride's own attempts at babysitting those hellions was any indicator. From the house, he could hear more yelling and shouting from the house. He thought the older voice might have been Moegi, but the were at least six youngsters in there shouting back at her. Even the Hokage, whose two wives had had more than two children each by this point (Hinata, if he remembered right, had five and Sakura had three), which meant that there were _more_ children here than he'd expected.

With a gulp to suppress his fear before he walked into the lion's den, Toride hiked the knapsack Hanabi used for emergency trips or extra supplies up onto his shoulder a little higher, then opened the gate.

At once, a blood-curdling alarm sounded, making everyone present- including the children- jump in fright. In the two or three seconds it took the older people present at the Hokage's address to realize what was going on, the many children in the yard, and house, had begun to cry with fear.

Wincing with pain, Toride slammed the gate shut behind him and stalked to the house. He was met half-way there by Soren, who mouthed, "Sorry," before passing him at a run.

Just as he reached the kitchen, the alarm shut off.  
"So, who tried to leave?" an exhausted-looking Kamisori asked as he entered from the hallway, holding two screaming babies.

Toride shook his head, "No one, I came in. I take it that's Moegi's alarm seal?"

The older ninja nodded, "Yeah, I think so. It went off when we came in, too, but she was standing right there and shut it off at once before it got _really_ loud. So..."

The younger Chunin shrugged, "Just seeing if... if Hinata-sama is here. Hanabi-chan- er, Hanabi-sensei asked me to send her home, to the Hyuuga estate, I mean, if she was. Apparently her father's not... not doing well."

Kamisori frowned. "That's not good news... I thought we had it bad getting stuck with this duty right after getting home, but... Wait. Hanabi-_chan_? You sly dog! You actually did get together with her?"

Blushing furiously, Toride nodded while hissing, "Keep it _down_, will ya? We can't exactly go shouting it to the rooftops!"

But the lightning swordsman only grinned, clapped his junior on the back with an awkward full-armed slap, and tried- unsuccessfully- for the next ten minutes to hand one of the babies off to Toride while he hunted down Namikaze Hinata.

(O)(O)(O)

An exhausted Toride, now holding an almost-asleep toddler (he thought it was Kennosuke, Sakura's second-born, but frankly, the children all looked the same to him. At least, those without Hyuuga eyes), answer the door at the Hokage's residence some time after nine in the evening. Moegi, Konohamaru, Kamisori, Akimichi Soren, and Aburame Tenchi were all passed out in either the kitchen (sprawled across the table and two chairs) or the living room, filling every piece of available furniture. That left Toride, who, though exhausted, was too wired to sleep anyway, up holding the last of the conscious children.  
"I wonder who that is?" he whispered, praying that whoever it was wouldn't wake the child in his arms.  
Still, even with a house full of ninja, the Hokage's heirs were vulnerable and valuable targets, so he had one hand on a kunai even as he awkwardly turned the door handle with the arm holding Kennosuke.

"H- Hanabi-sensei?"

The older woman was drenched from head to toe, but it was still painfully obvious she'd been crying. Her eyes were swollen and red, less white than pink. Her normally luxurious brown hair was sodden and limp, hanging loosely down her back and front. The Chunin had just a moment to see how heartbroken his girl- did he dare call her that, even in his head?- looked before her features softened a great deal.  
"You... you look natural, holding a poop-box."

He snorted, "Not funny, sensei. I think I'm a bit young, yet. Come on in, get out of the rain. I don't know where you'll sit," he added, gesturing around the living room, "but there's no sense in standing on the porch."

Hanabi, despite her obvious less-than-best demeanor, still scanned the room with tired eyes, checking for threats, even in the Hokage's home. "All clear?" she asked, before moving over and leaning against the back of the longer couch, which shared Konohamaru and Moegi, draped over each other. She didn't seem to care that her hair was dripping on the ginger-girl's shoulder, if she noticed at all.

"He's go-"

"My fath-"  
Both began and halted at the same time. Toride waved the kunoichi on, and she began again with a sigh, "My father's still alive. Not well, not by any means, but alive. And... and Sakura-san told me about the poison. About Kumo."

Toride moved toward her, doing his best to pull her into a comforting hug without disturbing the now slightly-snoring baby in his other arm. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but..."

Hanabi nodded against his chest, "I know. She told me. There's nothing they can do, though. He's... he's probably not going to make it past tomorrow."

For a long time, far too long, the silence continued while Toride struggled for something to say, something more than another worthless 'I'm sorry'.

But just as he opened his mouth to speak, Hanabi's lips on his brought about further silence. "Don't, don't say it," she whispered, "I already know. I know what you're thinking, and... and it's okay. I'll miss my father, but it's not like I'm alone."

Toride, still wishing there was more he could do, pulled her in a little tighter.

(O)(O)(O)

Toride was woken early the next morning by a soft but firm knock on the door. For a brief moment, he was confused- there were two warm bodies next to him, and he was not in any bedroom he could easily remember.  
Not, in fact, even in a bed or cot.  
No, he was sprawled out in the middle of the Hokage's living room floor, with Hanabi, still red- and puffy-eyed, curled into his left side, with Kennosuke curled into his right armpit. He could hear whispers from the kitchen, and saw Konohamaru, one of the Hokage's best friends, walk across the room toward the door. On his way, he shot Toride a mishievous grin and a wink in Hanabi's direction. Just before the other man opened the door, he mouthed, "I've got pictures."

Toride, flushing, wasn't sure if it was anger at the threat of blackmail, or jealousy because he wanted them for himself.

"Hey, Kono," a familiar female voice said softly, "are the others up yet? Sakura-sensei had an idea a few hours ago, but she can't do the actual jutsu herself."

The male gestured the Yamanaka-Uchiha heiress in, whispering, "Moegi's in the kitchen working on pancakes for everyone. Toride's up, don't think anyone else is yet."

The (currently) blonde walked in, smiled softly and rather wistfully in Toride's direction, and continued to the kitchen with a small wave.

Konohamaru, ignoring Toride's hiss to keep it quiet completely, only smiled as he followed her.

"Damn it," the Chunin muttered to himself, "I'm not gonna hear the end of that any time soon..."

"End of what?" Hanabi whispered into his neck before planting a soft kiss there.

"Konohamaru-sama. He... well, nevermind. It's not a big deal."

Hanabi growled, "He has pictures, huh? Well, don't worry, I have a few of _him_, too. You know we dated for a while? I have _lots_ of blackmail material if he gets... uppity."

Toride frowned at first at the reminder that his Sensei was both older and had dated someone as important as Konohamaru to the Village, but smiled at the last. "Good. Uh... do you mind if we get up?"

Hanabi, in response, threw one leg over his, and gasped when she encountered the normal morning condition of a human male. "Uh... I..."

"No, really," he said, "my arm's asleep 'cause of Kennosuke, and breakfast, and I have to pee, and there's pancakes."

This time, the Jonin only purred, "Are you trying to bribe me? Shouldn't your _girlfriend_ be the one to help you take care of that?"

Toride's sputtering response was cut off by giggles from the other couch behind them.  
Both Hanabi and Toride flew apart, waking the child in the young man's arms, both bright red.  
"Oh! Oh, you should see your faces," Kamisori choked out through his own laughter, while he pulled Tenchi tighter to help her control her own giggling, "Oh... that's so priceless!"

Just then, the flash of another camera went off, and Konohamaru crowed with laughter again.  
Before he could stow it away, however, a kunai from Hanabi knocked it from his hand and against the wall, holding it there, pierced clean through. "Not a good idea, 'Kono'. Remember who's got more pics of who in compromising positions. Remember... the _tree_?"

He paled, the others, including Moegi, laughed uproariously.  
"Hey! I was _asleep_! That's _so_ not fair!"

The Hyuuga only shrugged, visibly fighting her own embarrassment down, "Not my fault you were humping a piece of wood in your sleep. So, Moegi-chan," she continued, ignoring her once-boyfriend and focusing on her once-rival, "I hear there's breakfast?"

(O)(O)(O)

"So I'll need Kamisori and Hanabi to come back to the Hyuuga estate with me, as soon as we're done with breakfast. Sakura-sensei is taking a nap and eating herself, so we have some time, but we need to perform the procedure as soon as possible. The longer we delay, the less effect we think it'll have."

Toride felt his fingers start to crack under the death-grip Hanabi had on his right hand under the table. "And this'll work? I don't want... I don't want Hanabi-ch-_sensei_ to have... well, any false hope."

Inoko frowned, shaking her head, "Sorry, Hanabi, we just don't know for sure. We're obviously doing everything we can to make sure it does, but the poison, and the disease it causes, are pretty far along. Frankly, we aren't sure how he's made it _this_ long. Your Hyuuga medics are something else, even Sakura-sensei said so."  
Hanabi, in dull monotone, said, "We can see problems others can't, that's all. Some of the medics can work on the cellular level easier than any other. But apparently, it's still not enough."

"Well," Inoko answered after a few second's awkward silence, "let's get you guys fed before the rest of the brats wake up. I doubt you'll want to head back over there with the noise a breakfast in this place generates echoing through your skull. It ruins my whole day when I babysit."

Toride, having just experienced his first bout the night before, understood that sentiment completely. How Hinata-sama handled it every day... Well, she was considered a genius is many ways for that, if nothing else.

(O)(O)(O)

When the group stopped outside the room towards the back of the Hyuuga Estate's main dwelling, Toride was quite surprised when Hanabi pushed Kamisori ahead of herself, then pulled Toride in with a firm grip on his hand. The others, as he had been planning, stayed out in the hall.

He saw much of what he'd expected. Hyuuga Hiashi's bedroom was similar in setup and understated elegance to Hanabi's, the same dark wood and white walls. The smell, though, was something he'd never encountered before. He knew death, as a ninja of some experience, he'd been smelling death for years.

This, though, was something new. Not _rot_, per say, but a definite air of... _unwellness_ clogged the air in the room with an almost-visible miasma. In the far corner, left of the window, Hinata sat on the Hokage's lap, having apparently cried herself to sleep. The golden blonde was gazing at the group wearily, obviously exhausted himself. If he knew their Hokage at all, he had been channelling chakra to Sakura and the Hyuuga medics as often as they needed it, probably for days, to keep Hiashi alive.

"Father," Hanabi choked, "I'm here. Don't w- don't worry. Sakura-sama said she had an idea."

The medic, who hadn't looked up from the ancient tome she was reading as they entered, nodded, "Yeah. It _should_ work. I can't guarantee it, though. If Tsunade-shishio were here to confirm, I'd be more comfortable, but since she retired..."

Toride knew the story, of course, everyone in the Village did. The year after Naruto had been given the title of Hokage, the last living Sannin had had a heart attack. It wasn't major, but enough to force her into the hospital for several weeks. It had even forced her to give up drinking and gambling.

However, what Sakura was explaining was not the commonly-told story.  
"When Lady Tsunade had a second myocardial infarction- that's the technical term for a heart attack- a few days later, we... well, we did something desperate. I say _we_, but really I mean _he_, she continued, gesturing at Hatake Kamisori without looking up from her book. "At least, he did all the work. Shizune, the medical team, and I gave him the basic knowledge to do know what had to be done, but it was Kamisori who saved her life."

Hinata, Naruto, and Sakura all watched the others dispassionately, but even Hiashi, whose cheeks were sunken and yellow, watched with wide eyes as the revelations kept coming.

"Some of you might know that Orochimaru was nearly as skilled with medicine as Tsunade, nearly as skilled with Seals as Jiriaya. It was actually that medical knowledge that led him to the Snake path and granted him the Summoning contract with them. Kamisori, with Anko's blessing, has been working behind the scenes to learn everything he could about medicine on his off time. He's not a med-nin, but he can do... things. Things none of the rest of us can. There's a _chance_, and it's a small one, that he can help here. I'll... I'll let him take over, because frankly, I don't know _what_ he does."

The tall young man nodded, and flicked both his hands in what seemed to be a nervous twitch before continuing to explain, "The caduceus symbol- the two snakes twined around a staff- has been linked to medicine since time immemorial. Supposedly it was created by an ancient god or set of gods associated with worldly knowledge and travel. The snakes on the staff are deliberate, because as our zodiac tells us, serpents are, amongst other things, symbols of virility, knowledge, and like their dragon counterparts, vitality. I... well, like Sakura-sensei said, I'm no medic, but I can... I can give you a... I don't even really know how to explain this. Umm..."

While Kamisori's eyes closed and lips continued to move as he tested words out to himself, Toride took a moment to glance around the room. Several of the people there looked almost... tranquil, despite the tension in the air. He, himself, was feeling both unneeded and unwanted. Although Hanabi's hand hadn't let go of his, her grip had slackened along with the tightness in her jaw as this new glimmer of hope came into being.

_What am I doing here? This is a time for medics and family. I should-_

"I guess I can explain that way," Kamisori said, derailing Toride's thoughts, "So what I can do is transfer some of my life force to you. I'll become less healthy, weaker, and possibly die a bit sooner, and in return, you get stronger, healthier, and live longer. We aren't sure of the ratio, but I was only sick for about a month off and on, and Senju-hime is healthier than she's been in years a full year later. I think I can help."

Hinata, who Toride hadn't noticed waking up, crawled from her husband's lap to stand at her father's bedside. Hanabi finally allowed her hand to slip out of his as she joined her sister on the opposite side, with Neji, who just slipped into the room, moving to stand at the foot. The older sister whispered to her father for a moment, but he shook his head.  
In a raspy voice, Hiashi spoke, "I must decline."

Shocked silence fell over the room. As Toride watched from the background, he was surprised to see Hiashi's white eyes fall on him through the narrow gap between Sakura and Hanabi. "You are Ioka Toride, my younger daughter's pupil?"

Toride nodded. With a weak hand, the Clan Head beckoned Toride to come closer. Confused, he did so, sliding between the rosette healer and his sensei, who immediately took his hand again.  
Hiashi, whose eyes flickered in that direction for a moment, was expressionless, but even Toride, who had just met him, could see the pain behind his eyes. "Yes, Sir?" he asked.

Hiashi muttered, "Byakugan," and let his eyes take their measure of Toride. After only a few moments, the kekkei genkai was deactivated, but Toride still felt as if he was being x-rayed. "You have helped my younger daughter a great deal."

At once, both of them blushed. He tried to remove his hand from hers, but her grip only tightened.

Hinata, across the bed, finally noticed their linked hands and smiled, only somewhat sadly, at her sister for a moment before returning her attention to Hiashi.

Hanabi, though, nodded with a slight bow, "He has, Father. He is..."

Whatever Toride might have been, he couldn't guess, but Hiashi only nodded. "I believe you have made your decision well. Does the Hokage object?"

From the corner, the blonde sat up with a start from where he'd had his head buried in his hands, "I, uh- what? Sorry, I was thinking about- well, something else."

"Dork," Sakura whispered, then louder, "Hyuuga-sama wants to know if you object to something."

Even standing next to and slightly in front of the medic, Toride couldn't miss her eyes flickering more than once toward he and Hanabi.  
After a few uncomfortable moments, Naruto's eyes widened considerably. "Oh. Oh! No, no, the Hokage doesn't object at all!"

Hiashi finally smiled, and Toride relaxed slightly, though he wasn't sure why. "May I have a moment to speak with my family about my decision?"

At once, Sakura, Naruto, and Toride moved to leave. A moment later, Hanabi had caught his hand again, while Hinata had grabbed onto Naruto's arm.  
Sakura smiled at Hiashi's pained chuckle that she and Kamisori was the only ones actually leaving the room. Though she considered Hiashi to be family as well, and believed he thought the same of her (he certainly treated her and Naruto's children as well as Hinata's and Naruto's, in other words, he spoiled the lot of them rotten), she knew exactly what he'd meant. As a doctor herself, she knew why he might not want to extend his life, especially at such a potentially heavy cost.

After the door shut, she began to relay to those gathered outside Hiashi's decision with a heavy heart. She understood it, yes, but accepting it emotionally...

(O)(O)(O)

"My daughters, my nephew, my sons."

Toride's and Naruto's eyes both widened. The blonde had come to like the older man very much, despite his treatment of his family when they were all younger, but had never been called that before. For the Chunin, it was even more of a shock, though Hanabi didn't appear to react at all.

"I made that choice I made for one reason and one reason only, but there are several issues that relate to it. Firstly of those," he coughed a moment, then began again, "are that I am... not much needed any longer. For more than two years I have been giving Hanabi more and more of the responsibility of running our Clan, and she has stepped up admirably. The Elders, while they may resist some things, have learned to stand aside when my little firecracker gets her fuse lit."

She, standing beside him, scowled at the joke, but the others couldn't help but smile.  
"And now she has found someone to be happy with, someone like your mother was to me. I know you want me to stay, and I want to stay too, but I can't buy that at the cost of someone else's life. I have done enough killing, and that Hatake-san is willing is a great honor. It is simply one I cannot accept."

Toride was impressed. He had known all along that the father of his love must be a great man, but he couldn't imagine someone not taking a chance to live a little longer, especially with such great people as Hinata, Naruto, Sakura, Neji, and most of all, Hanabi around him, no matter the cost.

"So I ask that you respect my decision. I know it will be hard for you, but for me, it will be no more difficult than falling asleep. And I will get to see my wife and brother again, will I not?"  
Neji, for the first time in Toride's memory, smiled, though his eyes were filled with tears, at the thought of his father.

"Neji, continue to do your very best for the Clan, and treat your Tenten and children well. You are a testament to the nobility and strength of our Clan. I know you won't let any of us down."

With a deep bow, Neji whispered, "I will do my best, Uncle. Please give my father my love."

Hiashi replied soothingly, "He already has it, but when I see him, I will relay the message. And perhaps a swift kick in the rear for leaving you to save a crotchety older brother, hmm?"

At that, Neji was forced to turn away, but he was still smiling all the same.

"Hinata, you already know how very proud of you I am. You, Naruto, and Sakura have built a wonderful life for yourselves, and you already are raising your children far better than I was able to do for you. I am, as always, so-" he coughed again, but rallied more quickly this time, "-so very sorry for my actions when I was younger. I am... I am overjoyed to know that you have overcome your terrible father, however."

Weeping, Hinata threw herself over his prone form, sobbing that he had been a wonderful father, and he still was. Still weakly, he moved both hands up to hold his eldest close until she quieted a bit. "And Hanabi, my jewel, I was perhaps even more terrible a father to you. I have left you a great burden, one I was fortunate enough to set your elder sister free from. But you are as strong as she is, and more willing to take it up, are you not?"

Hanabi nodded firmly, but her voice shook as she replied, "Hai, Father. I will t-try not to let you down."  
Hiashi smiled, and took one hand from Hinata's back to grab her free one, pulling her down next to her sister, "You have never, and you never will let me down, neither of you. And you, Toride-san," he continued, now looking up at him with firm eyes, "You had best treat my baby girl _extremely_ well. She will need your strength and support. Our whole Clan will."

Woodenly, Toride nodded, barely grasping what he was agreeing to.

Had Hiashi really just given him his blessing to be with Hanabi? And practically on his deathbed?

**A/N2:** Just about 7 pages, that's long for this story's updates. Go me! Anyway, yes, Hiashi had(s) a chance to live, and has turned it down. This, as I was writing it, is _not_ how I had planned the story to go, not even close. I wanted him to live for another year and the cost of a few months of Kamisori's life. However, as I was writing it, it just came out this way... and I can see why. The Hiashi in my head _would_ turn down the jutsu, first of all, but as well, this way removes the barrier from Hanabi stepping up, and she's experienced less growth at this point in the story than Toride has. While that's okay, since both are protagonists, she's the canon character, and she should be (imho) the slightly larger focus. That will change during the next arc, but it won't be anything major still as the difference between them in character growth is minor.  
Anyway, as alwyas, this isn't my main story for updating, but as it gets closer to completion I'm (more) likely to work on it faster. On the other side of that, I'm now 1 arc (a mid-length) from completing One Hour (or I will be after the next chapter), and have just about (again 1 chapter short) completed the first of three arcs in my Fallout story Son of the Old World (which, for those not reading my other stories- if there are any since this is the least popular of them, is set 10.5 years post-FO3, in the Capitol Wasteland after a female- Charisma build- Lone Wanderer sacrificed herself for Project Purity using a few OC's as the main characters but set in the same world, obviously, with many of the same characters present in the story), and once One Hour is done, that will be my main focus, but this will still move up to second instead of third. Unfortunately for the Bleach fans, I don't know when (not if, because I will, but when) I'll get around to working on that again. Eventually, though.

And for Harry Potter... started another fic, worked on several of my ongoing projects. Still none of those getting posted until I finish them, though.

'till next time, kiddies!


	22. Chapter 22: Calm before the Storm

**A/N:** Again (and again) apologies... this chapter has been a long time coming. Which is a shame, because I'd forgotten I had so much of it written already. Seriously, I only wrote a paragraph here and there to polish it up (just a bit), it was mostly complete otherwise. I will say, however, that while LB2 is not my favorite or most popular story any more (One Hour overtook both a few chapters back), this is still something I'm quite happy with, despite it's lower readership. Almost in spite of.  
I do need to say some things about this chapter, though: **_STRONG LEMON WARNING_**. It's honestly a good portion of the chapter. It is, however, somewhat (completely) necessary for the story, so I can't take it out in good conscience.  
Lastly, more should be coming... when I get to it. This story's been on my mind a lot lately (largely due to feeling bad it doesn't update more often), so I've been thinking about where I want to go with it. This chapter is the final in the second-to-last arc, and the final arc will be relatively short, but it's not done yet. I still have at least 5-6 chapters left, if my planning is right. However, Kumo will be the focus of the last few chapters, so expect most of the action to be up there from now on. Otherwise, of course, and as always...

Enjoy!

**Chap. 22 Calm before the Storm**

Toride, bleary-eyed from the late night, had just pulled his small teapot from the stove when someone pounded once, hard, on his apartment door, and then a second and third time, so weakly he barely heard it. "Coming!" he called, voice husky, and set the pot down on a cool burner before hurrying to the door.

While it might be nothing, no ninja he knew could take their time answering the door. Not with the import of some messages, even if those were few and far between.

Expecting an ANBU or other Chunin messenger (he had delivered a few of those himself in the last few months), the stocky man was quite surprised to see instead his team leader, Hyuuga Hanabi.

More surprising still, her white eyes were shimmering with tears, red-rimmed, and there were salty tracks down both cheeks.  
"S- Hanabi-chan? What- what's wrong?"

The older woman stood there unseeingly for a few seconds more before shaking herself and finally actually looking into Toride's eyes, as if she had just realized he was standing there. "T- Tor... my father, he's... he's..."

"Oh," he said. That was all it took, because he knew more about Hiashi's situation than even Hanabi likely did at this point. Or at least, the cause of his death.  
Without hesitation, driven by instinct, desire to help, and the surety that, no matter what, they would be all right together, even if they could not be 'all right' apart, Toride pulled her by one hand into his apartment, shut the door, and then wrapped his muscled arms around her tiny frame.

It had taken four hours for her sobs to stop, another hour before Hanabi fell into a fitfull sleep in his lap. They were sitting on his couch, well, he was sitting there, she on him, curled into his lap like a child, though Hanabi was almost as tall as he was.  
His left hand idly stroked down her long, smooth brown hair, occasionally tangling into it. That was unusual, because through the months they'd been an actual couple, he'd had several opportunities to touch his former Sensei's hair, and it was _never_ tangled, never mussed, unless she'd just come out of battle.

_She must not have slept last night at all..._

His right was being gripped tightly, even in her sleep, by Hanabi's two hands, one at the wrist, the other curled his fingers in between her own. Hanabi's knees were pulled up to her chest, as much of her in contact with Toride's torso as she could get.

It was not an ideal position for him, because even petite as she was, Hanabi was firmly muscled and weighed a fair bit, but...

If it was for her, he'd carry the weight of the sky, of the planet itself. She was nothing.

Hanabi stirred and whimpered in her sleep. For a brief moment, Toride saw not the stern, hard-nosed Sensei, or the veteran Jonin who had seen many battles and come out victorious, or even his tentative (if slightly reluctant, still) girlfriend.

Instead, Toride looked through a small window into Hanabi the little girl, broken by her father's death.

_No, not broken... wounded, hurt, but she'll survive. She has to, and she will. I'll... I'll help in any way I can._

_If I can._

Not knowing what else to do, the Chunin continued to stroke her hair, whispering that he was there, he loved her- even if he'd been unable to say it again while she was awake after the first time- and that he would be there as long as she needed him.

When his mindless platitudes started to repeat themselves, he trailed off into first whispers, and then silence.

"Do you mean that?" Hanabi whispered beneath his chin.

Toride started. Had she really been awake to hear all of that, or was she talking in her sleep? He knew she did that sometimes, especially when upset.

"Uh... y-yes?"

Hanabi slipped her hand from between his and turned slightly into his chest so she could wrap both arms around his waist. "I'm... I'm glad, Toride. I l-love you, you know that, right? Even if I can't say it much."

Not sure if he was relieved she'd heard it, or scared about how she'd react when she was more like her usual self, he nodded once, "Yeah."

They were silent and still for a few minutes before Toride noticed he was hungry. Not stomach-growling hungry, he was far too upset himself for that, but enough to notice. Just when he'd opened his mouth to suggest they get something to eat, he felt Hanabi's soft lips brush against his neck, then again firmly as she kissed him.

At first, he was too shocked to resist. Even in two, almost three, months of being an official couple, they'd only gone beyond kissing lips once, and that had not been far. This... while it was not overtly sexual (yet, some part of his brain mused), it was undeniably intimate.

"S-sensei?"

Hanabi froze. "Don't call me that, Toride."

"Sorry," he whispered, "I... I mean, not that I mind, because I really do love you, but... what are you doing?"

She pulled away just enough to stare into his eyes from a few inches away, "I'm trying to seduce you, Ioka. What does it look like?"

He gulped. "I, uh..."

Before he'd gotten any further, she had risen from his lap for a moment, then settled back down, this time kneeling with his legs between hers, facing him directly. "Is it working so far?"

Unable to help himself, Toride notice for the first time since she'd arrived that his former sensei was wearing a very-rumpled training gi, only loosely covered by a summer yukata, and both were hanging quite loose.

Even as a grown woman, Hanabi's breasts were rather pert, and needed no bindings, either.

"I, er... uh..."

Hanabi blushed, just a little, "It's nothing to stutter over, Tor... you've seen me nude before."  
He nodded, gulped, and tore his eyes upwards, "I know... it's just... this is d-different."

She leaned in to kiss him, "Why?" she asked, lips still brushing his.

"Because... because that was just a... a lesson, and this... you... we can't. Not like... not like this."

She pulled away, clearly hurt, but didn't rise from his lap. Instead, she put both hands on his chest, pinning him (though he was sure he could move her if he wanted to) to the couch. "Not like what?"

The crispness in her voice didn't escape his notice, but... how else could he say it? There was no subtle way, no easy words. "Not right after your father... not when you're upset. I'm sorry, Hanabi-chan, I want... I want it to _mean_ something, when we... when we do that. Not like this."

Tears suddenly welled in her eyes, and Hanabi collapsed back against him, one hand clutching at his own yukata, the other beating impotently against his chest. "D-d-damn it, T-Toride! I just want to _feel_ something good! Can't you... can't..."

She cried for another half-hour before calming again.

"Tor?"

"Hmm?"

She sat back up a little, eyes red-rimmed once more, and kissed him passionately. When her hands started to drift down his chest, he pushed her away once more, though he was now becoming quite aroused himself, as she could doubtless tell given their positions. "Hanabi-chan..."  
She shook her head, "No. Toride... please, _please_... if what you said is true... and I know I love you... then it doesn't _matter_ if we're married, or if it's 'special'... it's not like I'm a virgin anyway... I just... I just need to feel loved. Can't you understand that?"

He shook his head, "I don't... I'm sorry. I'm trying to show you in every way I can that I _do_, but..."

Hanabi grabbed his face, fingers splayed across his cheeks, and stared into his eyes, "I can see that you do, I can feel that you do, I can hear it..." she sighed, "Toride... my father died seven hours ago. Right now, I'm so numb I feel like I'm going to die if I don't _think_ about drawing one breath after another. I love you, I really do, but it feels like, right now, that's... that's just not enough. I need... more."

Toride looked away, whispering, "I'd help you if I could... kami, I want to, but-"

She ground against his lap, grinning slightly, "I know, I can tell."

He turned back just to scowl at her. Even though it was quite a pleasant feeling... "I just... I don't want to take advantage of you, okay? You're... you're going to be fine, but I can't believe that you're being yourself right now, and I... I just wouldn't feel right."

To his surprise, Hanabi's expression did not move further toward rage, or even anger. Instead, she smiled slightly, more than she had since her arrival. "Toride... thank you for that. But I promise you, this _is_ Hanabi talking. The same sensei who loves her own student. I hadn't planned on it being like this, but I _do_ want it. Never doubt that. I... if we'd waited for marriage, that would have been nice. If we'd just had a special moment, that would have been nice... but so would this. Don't you see?"

He shook his head, "I... I don't see it, I'm sorry."

Hanabi, still smiling, leaned in to kiss him, muttering, "Men..." before pulling back for a moment to slide her head sideways. Now whispering with her lips brushing his ear, she said, "Let me tell you what I want. I want you to take that thing in your pants and drive it into me over and over, so hard it forces the air from my lungs. I want you to pound me into the couch, or your floor, or your bed, for _hours_, until all thought of my father, or my duty to the Clan, or anything else but you is gone for a while. I just want to be in a world of you and me, just for a little while, before all the responsibility comes crashing back down. Is that... is that too much to ask? Am I being selfish?"

Toride closed his eyes, finally moving, just a litte, to bury his face in the crook of her neck. She smelled rather strongly of herself. _She hasn't been home to shower, even... But kami, she still smells so good._ "I... Hanabi, are... are you sure?"

She nodded against him, saying nothing.

A few moments later, his indecision fell away. _Sensei needs me, and I... kami, I have to admit I want this too, don't I? I have for years, ever since I saw her completely. I can do this. We can do this, and it'll... I'll just have to make it as good as I can, for her._  
"Hanabi-chan... if it's not that... I mean, I've never... I'm sorry."

The woman wrapped her arms tightly around him again, squeezing her chest into his with all her might, "Toride... I love you, and I don't think you can disappoint me like that. I'm a pretty easy woman to please, and you've got quite a bit in there. It's not like I'm a woman with a giant-sized... well... we'll be fine. I _will_ enjoy it. Please... please don't make me wait any more. I want to feel you."

He nodded, before throwing himself upwards. As he stood, Hanabi fell slightly, but his hands moved at once to cup her ass, holding her against him before her reflexes caught up and her strong legs wrapped around him.  
"Oh _Kami_," she moaned, grinding her hips against him again, "you _are_ pretty big... and I had no idea you were so strong."  
He didn't respond verbally. If she wanted him to pound her... who was he to argue? He'd show her how strong he was.  
Without a moment's more hesitation, Toride turned to set her on the couch, and began removing his yukata. "Strip," he said forcefully.

For a brief moment, indignation filled Hanabi's eyes, before a sudden jump in arousal made her smile and obey. She finished just as he had, leaving most of their clothing in a rumpled pile around their feet, some of the lighter pieces strewsn around the room.

"Spread your legs. Touch yourself. Show me how you want me."

Toride didn't know where this was coming from. He'd never imagined himself to be so... well, like this. In his fantasies with Hanabi (and there were many), she was always the forcefully one, the one in charge. But this time, at least, neither seemed to mind.

"Like this?"

He allowed himself to look, forcing down the embarrassment when he realized her eyes were glued to the spot between his legs, where his erection- already painfully hard- bobbed with every movement he made.

_Kami she's beautiful..._ Hanabi's rear was at the front of the couch, so far forward her cheeks were half over the edge, while the rest of her lay across the cushions. She was just short enough that her head was propped up on the back, so she was laying almost prone, only her lower legs upright to support her weight a bit.  
Like he'd instructed, they were spread open, one leg on each side of him, one hand gently cupping her sex, the other reaching across her stomach to cup her right breast. He noted the left nipple, the one he could see, was stiff and pointing up at the ceiling rather prominently. "Y- yes, just like that. Good girl."  
Hanabi shuddered, "I'm glad... glad you like it. I was... I was kind of nervous about you seeing me again... I'm kind of old, I mean."

He shook his head firmly, "You aren't old, Hanabi, you're _beautiful_. I'm... I'm going to give you what you want, but I want you to... to do something for me, first."

She nodded, "Anything, Toride."

"Promise me that, tomorrow, nothing will change. We'll still be... us. And the next day, and the week after, and..."

Whatever Hanabi had been expecting him to ask, it had not been that. Her eyes widened, glistening once again suddenly, before she whispered, "Toride... fuck my Clan. You're the one I want, and as long as you want me, I'm yours, okay? I'll marry you, I'll do it a thousand times just to spite them if they resist. It's just... just you. It has been for years."

He nodded, "All right. I believe you. Are... are you ready?"  
She nodded, bringing the hand away from her groin before turning it palm-out, "See? Wet. I'm ready."

He nodded again, moving foward and kneeling before her. "This... sorry if it isn't that good, again."

This time, Hanabi's eyes rolled, "Toride, if your dick isn't inside me in the next five seconds, I'm gonna do my damndest to send you back to the Academy."

The Chunin was glad his Jonin leader wasn't necessarily going to make do on that threat, because his nervousness alone made it take closer to twenty seconds.

"Not there..." Hanabi said, "Higher. That's my ass. Didn't they teach you this?"  
He shook his head, blushing furiously, "N- No, I mean, they _did_, I just... I'm a bit..."

Hanabi sighed, taking pity on him, "Toride, you _don't_ have to be nervous. It's a wonderful thing, not something to be scared of. I want to share this with you. Just... open your senses like I taught you, take yourself in hand to help your aim, and push forward. That's all it takes."  
Toride gulped, nodded, and obeyed.

It was so warm, so moist, so _tight_... he was a short man, but stocky and thick, and his member was built much the same. Not 'short', he thought, but certainly stocky and thick. Hanabi, though, was petite and tiny, and her vagina matched. "Ooooh kami..." he moaned, almost collapsing on top of her already, only half-way in.  
"That's it... just work your hips back and forth... slowly, go a little further in each time... you're... I have to adjust a bit, so slowly is better, so it doesn't hurt me."  
He froze. "I... I didn't- did I?"  
She pulled the hands away from her sex and breast again to cup his face, kissing him softly, "No, Tor... you feel amazing. You feel a lot bigger than Kiba was, and I was like, a foot shorter then, that's all. It's not painful, it feels _so_ good. You're perfect for me, and it takes a bit of adjusting, that's all."

Toride grimaced, "Do we really have to talk about your old lover now?"

Hanabi actually giggled, "Sorry. No, no we don't. Let's talk about you and me, instead, shall we?"  
He nodded, finally trusting himself to start moving again, in and out, a little further each time.  
"Let's talk about how I want you to push all the way inside..."

He did this time, the last inch of him, before their pelvises touched.

Hanabi moaned, "Oh Kami... now... now let's talk... about... you standing up on your knees again... keep going, don't stop..."

He obeyed, speeding up slightly now that he could use more of his body to maintain the movement.

"Now... now we can talk about how good your hands feel pinching my nipples, or squeezing my breasts... sorry they aren't that big..."  
One was grabbed roughly, he squeezed and kneeded it, pulling and stretching the petite flesh, while the other was cupped softly, caressed reverently. Hanabi squirmed and moaned again, "Kami... kami that's good... I'd never even heard of... rough and soft... same time... cum- _cumming_!"

Toride was surprised to feel the faintest of fluttering from her inner walls on his penis, less so by the moisture redoubling. The friction decreased, replaced by an even silkier, sliding motion. His speed increased again. "Do you want me to stop, Hanabi-chan?"  
White eyes, which had rolled up slightly in her head, focused on him at once, "Don't you dare! Now, let's... let's talk about me touching myself while you fuck me... okay?"

He gulped, wide-eyed, and traced the path of her left hand as it snaked down to the curls of brown hair above her sex. She grabbed a small fistfull, tugging slightly a few times, before letting go and moving just the tip of her middle finger to the nub she'd once described as her clitories. Moving now in small circles no wider than her finger itself, Hanabi moaned again. "You fill me up so good... it's so... Kami..."

He grinned, "You feel so amazing, too, Hanabi-chan. Tight, warm, wet... it's like... like nothing I've ever felt. I think I'm addicted already."

She smiled then, looked him straight in the eyes, and said softly, "Toride, you never have to use your hand again, okay? Well.. I guess if you're on a mission or something... but if you're in Konoha, come to me, okay? Use me, use my body, fuck me every day, ten times a day, if you want... I want you to feel this good, all the time. Don't settle for the hand, okay?"

Without warning, he exploded inside her, grunting in climax, before losing himself in bliss.

When Toride came to, his hips were still pistoning slowly, weakly, in and out of her, but his penis was mostly flaccid.

Hanabi... seemed almost disappointed.

"S- Hanabi-chan! I'm so sorry! I- I-"

She grinned, sitting up (and removing herself from around his member in the process), to kiss him firmly, tongue included. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I came right after you did. I'm... well, not _really_ exerienced, but more than you, and I still came twice, hard both times. That's damned impressive for a former-virgin, if you ask me."  
He gulped, relieved, then thought of something else. "But you- I came inside!"

She nodded, "Yep."

"And you- you said you can't take the pill, you're allergic!"

She nodded again, "Yeah... and?"

"And what if you're _pregnant_ now?"

She giggled, "I'm not. There's other ways, Tor. An older remedy, one the pill's based on, actually, works just fine for me. I have less than a 97% chance."

He fell back onto his butt, back banging painfully against the coffee table, but he didn't seem to care. "I mean... don't... don't get me wrong, Hanabi-chan, I _do_ want kids... with you... it's just... we're a bit young, right?"

She nodded, now moving down to sit on his lap as she'd done on the couch earlier, legs wrapped around his, "Yeah... but hey, if that three-percent chance happens... so what? Are you going to abandon me and our child?"  
"Never!" he cried, horrified at the very idea.

She kissed him again, bringing one of his hands with her up to her left breast, kneading softly, "Then there's nothing to worry about. If we're together, we're fine, right?"

After a moment, the shinobi nodded. "I guess."

"Good. Now... I heard once that young men can go over and over again if they're aroused... is that true?"

He finally noticed, now that the fear had truly passed, what she was doing in forcing his fingers to move on her breast. Then his eyes caught the faint bruises already darkening on other. "Oh Kami! I'm so sorry, that- that had to hurt!"

She looked downward, eyes wide, "Oh. I hadn't noticed. Oh well, no harm done. Be a bit more gentle though, okay?"  
"Got it!" he said fervently, "No more rough!"  
"You'd better fucking be rough! And fucking _me_ rough, Toride! Just a _bit_ less rough, I said. It felt really good, and I want you to do it again. I just don't want you to leave any marks that could be seen by the family servants before we get married, that's all."

He gulped. "You... you like it rough, then?"  
"And gentle. I like _you_, Toride, and everything you like, I probably will too. You're a mix of hard and soft, and it fits that you make love the same way."

"Kind of... like you?"  
Hanabi kiss him softly, then bit his lip, hard enough that he smelled a bit of copper, before pulling away, "Exactly. Now... here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to climb up on that couch again, like I did before, and you're going to take that erection I can feel on my ass, and drive it into me. Okay?"

A few seconds later, both groaned again.

"Now... help me lift my legs... just so I can get a grip... and..."

He was quite confused, but obeyed anyway. Years of instruction by the person you're buried to the hilt in will do that to you.

After she'd gotten an arm wrapped around each knee, though, he understood. Hanabi had pulled both legs nearly flush with her body, the lower half of each pointing straight up in the air, leaving her sex and only her sex presented to him. "Now... feel the difference? Tighter, angle change, all that?"

He nodded. As well, he noticed that while they'd been pelvis-to-pelvis, as far in as he could go, before, there was another half-inch he could move in now. "And I can go farther. More, if I squeeze in tight against your- your ass."

Hanabi smiled, "Yeah... Now, here's the last thing I want you to do... and this order is a standing order until I say otherwise, so even if you come again, don't stop... okay?"

Toride grinned, "I can try..."

"Fuck that pussy, Ioka Toride. Fuck me until I scream, use my body like a doll. Tonight, I want to be your love-slave, your personal whore, okay? Tomorrow... tomorrow I have to be Hyuuga Hanabi again, but tonight... tonight I'm just your slave."

He nodded, whispered, "Not my whore. Never my whore. You're just for me... you're my woman, my bitch, but not my whore."

If anything, that made her smile wider. "Yeah... you're right. Now use me!"  
The sudden command got him moving, at first gently, but when she growled out fiercely that she wanted to _hurt_ the next day, to help distract her from everything even more, Toride leaned over her, grabbed Hanabi's breasts around her legs, and began pounding into her so hard he drove the air from her lungs forcefully with each thrust.

If he hadn't had an orgasm just minutes before, he'd likely have had one within seconds, because with the new position, the tip of his dick just brushed against the flesh at the back of Hanabi's channel. "Oh Kami!" she cried, the first time he touched bottom, "You're _so deep_! Fuck... fuck me harder!"

Not caring for the fact that the neighbors could probably hear through the thin walls, or the way she was screaming, even the building across the way, much less for the team-mates who were standing out in the hall with an audio recorder, Toride obeyed.

He obeyed until, with an unrestrained roar, he spilled what felt like a pint of his seed into his sensei again.

He kept obeying until Hanabi's moans had turned to whimpers, and she whispered between pants, "S- sto-stop... e- enough... that's e... enough..."

Limply, he fell to the side, sprawling across one end of his couch.  
On shaky knees, Hanabi stood, wobbling slightly, to stand before him between his own legs. With a saucy grin, she pointed down. There was a stream of white, viscous fluid, two, actually, one dribbling down the inside of her left leg, the other hanging, swinging, from the middle of the space between them. "You came a ton, Tor... I feel so full, even now."

He grinned, "Well... I hope you're satisfied. I'm beat."

She nodded, "Yeah... I'm going to take a shower, okay? You can... you can come over and join me if you want."

He shook his head, "Sorry... I _really_ need to eat breakfast now. It's almost two."  
She nodded, "Yeah... I think I will too. Hey..."  
Toride looked up. Her voice was suddenly hesitant again, and that wasn't like her.  
"About... about all this..."

His heart plummeted.

"I meant what I said, okay? I don't want to stop. Just because... just because I'm going for a shower, and I'm going to wash you out of me, and I'm really tender... I want you, still, okay? If it hadn't started to hurt, I'd still want you inside me."

He nodded, relieved, "And... and the rest? Because I meant... well, everything, too."

She nodded, smiling gently, "Yes, yes I did. The family matchmaker's going to have a proposal worked up by tomorrow to send to your parents. And if they don't respond... well, you're a ninja, and perfectly qualified to arrange things yourself, aren't you?"  
He grinned, "You... you really mean it? You want to marry me, bring me into the Hyuuga?"

The kunoichi smiled even wider, "I'd marry into the Ioka if you wanted me to, Tor... let my family find another patsy to take the helm."

He thought for a moment. That had a certain appeal... but his parents were young enough to have more kids, and frankly... he didn't much care. Aside from their recent spat(s), he'd not been close to them for years, and the thought of having a new name, without the negative links to their past in Iwa... "No, you have a duty, and I'm proud to be a Hyuuga. Because that's _your_ family, Sensei."

She shivered, turning to the door with a blush, "Is..." she whispered, "Is it weird that I get a little thrill every time you say it like that?"

He shook his head, "Kami, I hope not, or I'm just as strange. I can't tell you how many times I've moaned out 'Sensei' instead of 'Hanabi-chan' when jerking myself... uh... you can just forget I said anything about that, right?"

She snickered, "Oh, hell no. I bet Kenkei's going to remember it too, though Kin looks like she wants to forget."

"Huh?"  
Hanabi turned her head so he could see the bulging veins, "I heard a noise... they're in the hall, with a listening device."

Toride jerked up from the sofa, storming to the door, before her calm hand on his bare chest stopped him, "Relax... dress first. Besides, their recording is useless. I did a micro-Empty Palm through the door a minute ago and broke the tape. All they have are embarrassing memories. Sorry Kin, Ken... and that was a cruel prank. I hope you're ready for the payback."

Toride heard two mumbled and muffled apologies, before pounding feet fled down the hall.  
"Bastards..." he muttered, before reaching for the nearest bit of clothing to throw on.

Hanabi giggled, "I don't think my little yukata's going to close around you, big man."

He glanced down, snorted, and tossed it to her. "S-Sorry. So... after you shower... do you want to come back over for lunch? Or maybe dinner?"

Hanabi blinked, "Uh... dinner?"

"Sounds good, then I can shower too. Listen... Hanabi-chan?"

She looked up, not pausing in tying the yukata around herself.

"After... do you think maybe I can have you for dessert again?"

Wide-eyed, she looked down his chest. "Wow... sure, I'll take some topical anesthetic for the bruising, and I'll be good to go in a few hours after a healing jutsu or two. That sounds like an _excellent_ plan."  
"It's a date, then."

She nodded, giving him a jaunty wave as she walked out the door to the next apartment down.

When he heard her door shut fainly, Toride burst into motion. Weak-kneed from hunger and unusual effort or not, he had a lot of work to do to make her a dinner worthy of Hanabi's amazing self, and to help distract her from... everything.

**A/N2:** At least this chapter is longer than even the last (which if I recall was until this one the longest to-date in LB2). It pulls it at just over 7 instead of just under in pages. Still, no promises on when the next update will be... although I will say I'm working on doing it soon. I'd like this story to be finished and wrapped up before OH, if only because it was the first one out the gate and has less chapters to go (OH's final arc looks to be pretty long, contrary to previous AN's).  
Look for more of the same to come- more action, more lemon, more character development, and more of the amazing fireworks... in more ways than one. :)


End file.
